Barn Dance!

by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault, Ted Rand (Illustrator)

In an old farmhouse, bathed in the light of the full moon, a young boy hears a voice calling to him. He sneaks out of the house and walks toward the barn, where he can hear the sweet sound of a country fiddler and the rhythmic thumping of dancing feet. But who could be having a barn dance in the middle of the night? Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault perfectly capture the bouncing cadence of a square dance caller, and Ted Rand's luminous paintings bring the nighttime countryside to life in this enchanting book that begs to be read aloud.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fantasy, Fiction, Poetry, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 1986

About the author

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916-2004) was an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet. His more than 300 books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See ; Polar Bear Polar Bear What Do You Hear ; Panda Bear Panda Bear What Do You See ; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom , are a testament to his ability to speak directly to children. Martin held a doctoral degree in early childhood education. Born in Kansas, he worked as an elementary-school principal in Chicago before moving to New York City, where he worked in publishing, developing innovative reading programs for schools. After several years, he devoted himself full-time to writing his children's books. He lived in New York until 1993, when he moved to Texas. He lived in the east Texas woods, near the town of Commerce, until he passed away in 2004.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/billma...

Reviews

[Lorellie]

Whimsical, pretty illustrations. Enjoyed the Reading Rainbow episode as well. Lots for Tot to think about, being unfamiliar with this culture.

[JPK]

One of my favorite children's books of all time. My mother still has nearly the entire book memorized, from reading it to us so many times as children. She read(/recited) it to me and my daughters--and the whole family--this year on family vacation!

[Cheryl]

for reading rainbow thread august 2026

[Jamie Johnson Leach]

I love the rhythm of the words, literally a dance 🕺 💃

[Luisa Knight]

A creative and fun read. I can't see any kids not liking this!

Ages: 3 - 5

Here’s a few of our bedtime favs: watch my reel!

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[Nick Molinet]

This is the story about a little boy who wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to go to his barn to see what is happening when he suddenly sees all the animals dancing together. This is a great book to read to children especially when ti comes to their imagination, after reading you can ask them to tell you what they think it would be like if the animals were in a zoo instead, or toys at a toy store, etc.

LE: After reading the story i would ask the students to pair up and then give each pair of students different mask of animal faces and then i would play the song barn dance by tom t. hall and whenever we hear an animal being called out have that pair come to the center of the room and dance.

[Cosette]

I couldn't figure out the rhythm.

[Kaitlyn Young]

This book is about a young boy that is laying in his bed at night, and he begins to look outside and wonder what goes on while everyone sleeps. Suddenly he sees the Scarecrow start to play the fiddle to round up all the animals to invite them into the barn. The boy goes outside to see what is happening, and he sees they are having a party in the barn! He dances with all the farm animals all night long. When daylight is near, the young boy goes back and gets in his bed.

The major theme in this book is to always let your imagination run free.

I gave this book a four star rating. I think it is a very cute book, and it allows kids’ imaginations and creativity to come out. I think it really captures what a kid occasionally thinks about, which makes it a fun book for children. The pictures are also really fun and inviting. The wording is very fun, too.

I thought this book was so cute! I know as a kid I always wondered if the animals outside would throw their own party while all the people slept too, so I really enjoyed reading this book. I think it encourages kids to have an imagination and use their creative thinking. It was a lot of fun to read, and I feel people of all ages would enjoy it!

I would definitely recommend this book. It encourages kids to use their imaginations, which I think is so important. I also think it is a very realistic depiction of what goes on in kids’ minds. The words used are in a slang, but I think it makes the book even more enjoyable because it is different from what they are used to reading. The slang also helps set a tone in the book. The rhyming is also very inviting because it is appealing to hear. The words, pictures, and meaning behind the book are extremely engaging!

[Samantha Ocampo]

I really enjoyed this fun filled picture book of a little boy who goes down to see all the fun that is happening in the barn. I thought the author provided an excellent story from when everyone went to sleep and to the time everyone would begin to wake up. There was a lot of rhythm and rhyming which allows the readers to have a fun time while they read as well. The illustrator also did great on the pictures with all the different characters and their actions. The colors had a really good combination to accent one another as well. I would highly recommend this book for when you want something fun to enjoy.

[Rose Rosetree]

A gentle mystery needs solving. Who on earth would be having a barn dance -- whatever that is? Who would be having a dance in the middle of the night?

I'd call the writing self-conscious.
Personally, I'm not a fan of the dialect-like language, studded with baby talk, like this sample:

"He leaped the appel barrel an' the pun'kins in a pile,
An' he showed 'em how to wagon-wheel, barnyard style.
Now rocket to the moon an' powder-puff your noses,
An' hurry home to mama on your little pink toeses!

There it is, a book stuffed with cuteness.
If this is your reading pleasure, in your honor, here's the FIVE STAR rating.

[Dawn]

Browsing books to give my friends' children as gifts since I won't gift anything I haven't first read myself.

I was obsessed with Reading Rainbow as a child. (If they made an adult version of this show, I'd watch it. Especially hosted by Levar Burton.) Wait. Where was I? Oh, right. I remember this being on the show and as an adult, I can truly see how it made it the cut of books to feature. It's whimsical and a little silly and charming as all get out. Giftable in every way, although I think I'll wait until the receivers are a little more school-aged for this one.

[Michelle Gallegos]

This takes us on the adventure of a young boy who can not sleep. After hearing an owl hoot to "come a little closer", the boy sneaks into the barn. Only to find a barn dance happening inside with all the animals. The boy sees the night as a magical night.
This is a cute story I find young reader will have fun reading as it sparks up their very creative imaginations. The rhythm and colorful illustrations add to the story, making a little more fun and interesting .

[Carly Bontrager]

Fantasy fiction
K-2nd grade
I’ve always thought this book was so fun. I used to read it when I was younger. I like the rhythm of the book and how it flows along, almost like it’s a song. I like the illustrations and I think the detail of the sock is fun and adds to the story, without it really being mentioned.

[Kiyoko]

Reading Counts Quiz stupidity strikes again!

Q: The moon was: hidden, full, small, or bright?

The text: "Full moon shinin', shinin' big an' bright"

According to the author, the moon is both full and bright. But only one answer is correct, according to the experts at Reading Counts. So how is it that "bright" is not a correct answer?

[Michelle (driftingsong)]

3.5 / 5

It's cute. It's fun. It has rhythm and it rhymes. There isn't much to it, just a barnyard dance in the middle of the night, but I think this would be really fun as a short read aloud for something poetry or song related.

[E & E’s Mama]

A little boy catches farm animals and a scarecrow having a barn dance and joins the fun. I found a video on YouTube of someone reading this book with music in the background and that made it a cool experience. Probably best for preschool and up

[Joshua Krieger]

Martin, B., Archambault, J., & Rand, T. (2013). Barn dance! New York: Henry Holt.
The baby barn animals dance all night until they get tired.

[Laura]

I'm on the fence with this one. It didn't hold my kids attention, and books on farms & farm animals usually do. Also, the rhymes were awkward, in my opinion. Not a keeper for us.

[Cara Byrne]

A lovely book about a "skinny kid" who discovers midnight magic as he joins in on a barnyard dance party.

[Rachel]

What fun! Spoke to my farm girl roots. Loved the fun cadence of the prose and the magical pictures.

[Jessica]

One of my favorite children's book. Read many, many times to my daughter between 2 - 8 years old.

[Kelsey]

My poor mother had to read this book to me at least a thousand times. It will always hold a special place in my heart.

[Mary]

Another one that appealed to me more when I read it aloud....

[Mooni Baronets]

This one was a hard read. The eliminated letters interrupted flow several times. This book would've great if it wasn't for that.

[Viviana]

A book from childhood. Different n illustration was nice, but haven't read in many years

[Samantha Johnson]

I don’t have any childhood nostalgia about this book, but the art caught my eye. Very charming.

[Randi Johnson]

One of my favorite books to read to my students in the fall!

[Beverlee Jobrack]

Fun.

[Sean Harding]

Martin odyseey continues with this one - what goes on in a barn after dark?
Apparently they pull out a fiddle and have a dance.
Average fare.

[Miss Becky]

Follow the scarecrow to the barn to discover all the animals are having a dance in the barn