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Barnyard Dance!
"Stomp your feet! Clap your hands! Everybody ready for a BARNYARD DANCE!” An assortment of irrepressible farm animals join in a rollicking square dance. With nearly four million copies in print, BARNYARD DANCE! is listed among Publishers Weekly’s Bestselling Children Books of All Time.
23 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 1993
About the author
Sandra Boynton
178 books1,176 followersSandra Keith Boynton is an American humorist, songwriter, director, music producer, children's author, and illustrator. Boynton has written and illustrated over eighty-five books for children and seven general audience books, as well as over four thousand greeting cards, and seven music albums. She has also designed calendars, wallpaper, bedding, stationery, paper goods, clothing, jewelry, and plush toys for various companies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 669 reviews
September 1, 2008
Having read this book again...I'm stunned again by its poignancy. The cows...why do they dance? It keeps me up at night--which is probably not the point of the book.
However, as in most books, I am faced with a glaring lack of citations. I have no way of knowing if there is actually a dance in the barnyard. The author uses NO footnotes, endnotes, or even a bibliography. Her "proof" is some crude drawings, that can not have been taken from life. We're supposed to just accept her assertions that there is some sort of ancient bowing ritual going on in the barnyard. And as a historian, I just cannot without a valid primary source documentation.
Although I enjoyed the book, the omission of any careful research lost it that final star.
However, as in most books, I am faced with a glaring lack of citations. I have no way of knowing if there is actually a dance in the barnyard. The author uses NO footnotes, endnotes, or even a bibliography. Her "proof" is some crude drawings, that can not have been taken from life. We're supposed to just accept her assertions that there is some sort of ancient bowing ritual going on in the barnyard. And as a historian, I just cannot without a valid primary source documentation.
Although I enjoyed the book, the omission of any careful research lost it that final star.
April 15, 2011
If you are not reading this with a southern accent and a country western cadence, you need to hang up your kiddy lit! Great little book for kids - I had so much fun reading it to my kids when they were little. Heard someone on a plane recently reading it to her young son, and I wanted to grab it and give it the umph it deserves. But I resisted - all part of growing up I guess...
April 7, 2017
I love anything Sandra Boynton has done...nice 'break' from some of the 'heavy' books I am reading.
August 4, 2017
In homage to kicking off this year's children’s book reviews for Amazon at #askmisspatience, Goodreads, and a children’s book blog being launched picked one of my all time favorite, Sandra Boynton’s Barnyard Dance.
From one of my favorite book stores on Amazon, More than Words who help teach youth aging from the foster care system responsibility of running a business through the sale of used books mailed this copy of Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton as promised.
My favorite part of the book besides memories as a teacher singing the book like a Square Dance caller for students is this copy came with a child's scribbles. To me, like the Velveteen Rabbit this book was loved by children rather than a brand new copy.
Overall, this or other books by Sandra are well worth a borrow from the library or purchase for a gift. Then, share cocoa and discuss ways to be silly, sing songs, and lead children enjoying this forever classic.
Adding the singsong dancing and chanting like a square dance caller makes this by far one of my all-time favorite children's books for young emergent learners.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💯
From one of my favorite book stores on Amazon, More than Words who help teach youth aging from the foster care system responsibility of running a business through the sale of used books mailed this copy of Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton as promised.
My favorite part of the book besides memories as a teacher singing the book like a Square Dance caller for students is this copy came with a child's scribbles. To me, like the Velveteen Rabbit this book was loved by children rather than a brand new copy.
Overall, this or other books by Sandra are well worth a borrow from the library or purchase for a gift. Then, share cocoa and discuss ways to be silly, sing songs, and lead children enjoying this forever classic.
Adding the singsong dancing and chanting like a square dance caller makes this by far one of my all-time favorite children's books for young emergent learners.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💯
May 11, 2013
Lyrical, rhythmic text with adorable pictures, the story swings along and is fun to read. The expressions on the animal's faces are wonderfully expressive as is their body language. It's also a nice introduction to square dancing. My class of one and two year olds love this book.
October 6, 2008
STOMP YOUR FEET! CLAP YOUR HANDS! EVERYBODY READY FOR A BARNYARD DANCE! And dance is just what every parent and child will want to do after exploring this book.
This book is complete in its ability to delight both parents and adults. The fun, comical illustrations are brightly colored and easy to recognize and are simply delightful. The book's language is heavy with engaging rhythm and catchy rhyme. There is just enough text on each page to keep very young children from getting bored while still having enough to move the story along.
The book also invites children to go a step further and stomp their own hands and clap their own feet so those that might have difficulty sitting to enjoy a story will still find a way to stay engaged. Furthermore, the repetitive sound effects are fun to replay while reading the story. This book manages to stay simple and brief while still having enough content and fun for both kids and adults. ~Leslie Stirling
Sandra Boynton has a knack for creating baby books with bounce. Her Barnyard Dance! Is a true romp of a board book, with cartoon farm animals that are wacky enough to make you laugh out loud, and rhymes clever enough to sustain those nearly infinite re-readings: "Stand with the donkey / Slide with the sheep / Scramble with the little chicks - cheep cheep cheep!" Now, here's a woman who really knows how to use an active verb. -- Parents, June 1994
I agree with this review completely. This book manages to appeal to even the shortest attention span with its active verbage and clever rhymes.
The popular illustrator and greeting-card artist brings oddball humor and plenty of sassy energy to Boynton on Board, a quartet of concept board books. Each volume features a die-cut front cover framing a picture of its ebullient cartoon stars. A zany sensibility gives an extra bounce to the otherwise conventional counting book One, Two, Three! A similar silliness suffuses Dinosaurs , which explores opposites. In Barnyard , farm animals dance a boisterous, breathless, knee-slapping reel called, with great panache, by a fiddle-playing cow: ``Bow to the horse. / Bow to the cow. / Twirl with the pig if you know how.'' The rowdy crew in Monsters bursts in upon a mild-mannered hippo and makes ``the mess that monsters make,'' but returns to make amends. Fresh and buoyant, these books are good, clean fun. Ages 1-4. (Publishers Weekly)
Again, I agree with this review completely. Fresh, buoyant and good clean fun are exactly how I would describe this board book.
This book is complete in its ability to delight both parents and adults. The fun, comical illustrations are brightly colored and easy to recognize and are simply delightful. The book's language is heavy with engaging rhythm and catchy rhyme. There is just enough text on each page to keep very young children from getting bored while still having enough to move the story along.
The book also invites children to go a step further and stomp their own hands and clap their own feet so those that might have difficulty sitting to enjoy a story will still find a way to stay engaged. Furthermore, the repetitive sound effects are fun to replay while reading the story. This book manages to stay simple and brief while still having enough content and fun for both kids and adults. ~Leslie Stirling
Sandra Boynton has a knack for creating baby books with bounce. Her Barnyard Dance! Is a true romp of a board book, with cartoon farm animals that are wacky enough to make you laugh out loud, and rhymes clever enough to sustain those nearly infinite re-readings: "Stand with the donkey / Slide with the sheep / Scramble with the little chicks - cheep cheep cheep!" Now, here's a woman who really knows how to use an active verb. -- Parents, June 1994
I agree with this review completely. This book manages to appeal to even the shortest attention span with its active verbage and clever rhymes.
The popular illustrator and greeting-card artist brings oddball humor and plenty of sassy energy to Boynton on Board, a quartet of concept board books. Each volume features a die-cut front cover framing a picture of its ebullient cartoon stars. A zany sensibility gives an extra bounce to the otherwise conventional counting book One, Two, Three! A similar silliness suffuses Dinosaurs , which explores opposites. In Barnyard , farm animals dance a boisterous, breathless, knee-slapping reel called, with great panache, by a fiddle-playing cow: ``Bow to the horse. / Bow to the cow. / Twirl with the pig if you know how.'' The rowdy crew in Monsters bursts in upon a mild-mannered hippo and makes ``the mess that monsters make,'' but returns to make amends. Fresh and buoyant, these books are good, clean fun. Ages 1-4. (Publishers Weekly)
Again, I agree with this review completely. Fresh, buoyant and good clean fun are exactly how I would describe this board book.
February 25, 2014
We have read this book to all of our kids over the last 20+ years. Our current baby (2.5 yr old Nicolette) loves it too.
December 18, 2023
Great book for the littles! Interactive fun and play
May 5, 2022
I love the square dancing energy and all the animal sounds of this little song on paper. Super fun for read aloud!
August 7, 2025
This psy-op by the CIA-backed Big Line Dancing cartel that has such a chokehold on American elementary schools is extremely rhythmic and WILL get you singing along.
January 6, 2019
Read this a bunch last year but apparently never logged it! This is really cute. Really fun rhymes and rhythm. My son likes bouncing to the beat.
March 7, 2011
3/7/2011:
This book was your very first favorite book! Your dad and I decided that you probably liked it because of the rhythm and you could follow and bounce along to it. For several months, this was required daily reading.
As you got older, you started pointing at the animals.
By the time this one fell out of the daily required reading regimen, the top part of the cover was torn and folded. However, you'd be hardpressed to find a book that was better-loved for teething.
This book was your very first favorite book! Your dad and I decided that you probably liked it because of the rhythm and you could follow and bounce along to it. For several months, this was required daily reading.
As you got older, you started pointing at the animals.
By the time this one fell out of the daily required reading regimen, the top part of the cover was torn and folded. However, you'd be hardpressed to find a book that was better-loved for teething.
July 25, 2026
Truly a poetic literary work! This compelling work takes the guise of a children’s picture book to emphasize the importance of social unity and diversity through the use of culturally appropriate interpretive dance. A ground breaking work that is truly, breaking down silos.
April 8, 2017
My son looooved this when he was 2! Great memories.
February 23, 2017
An adorable board book that is more entertaining if read in a rhythmic tone. The barnyard animals are having a dance using a majority of the normal movements of the animals. This adorable book is not only a good way to teach your child about animals but about the sounds that they make as well. The illustrations are simple and fun to look at because the animals on each page are busy doing their dances.
October 15, 2007
Looks like a lot of fun for a toddler story time. Wish I had seen this for my last Lap Time program. 9/25/12
Worked quite well at Lap Time. I used it again in Story Time- since I had a younger crowd and had the children\toddlers stand up and act it out, which was a grand success. 9/18/13
Used again for both Lap Time and Story Time and then played the song from the Rhinoceros Tap: 15 Seriously Silly Songs CD. 9/16/14
Used for Baby/Toddler in both programs and then played the song from the Rhinoceros Tap: 15 Seriously Silly Songs CD
Worked quite well at Lap Time. I used it again in Story Time- since I had a younger crowd and had the children\toddlers stand up and act it out, which was a grand success. 9/18/13
Used again for both Lap Time and Story Time and then played the song from the Rhinoceros Tap: 15 Seriously Silly Songs CD. 9/16/14
Used for Baby/Toddler in both programs and then played the song from the Rhinoceros Tap: 15 Seriously Silly Songs CD
July 5, 2012
Sandra Boynton, Barnyard Dance! (Workman Publishing, 1993)
More fun, musically-inclined Boynton, though there's a piece or two of this where the rhythm is such that you might not get it on the first try unless you're familiar with the two-step—might want to give it a quick read-over yourself before launching into it with the kiddies. But like everything Boynton puts out, it's fun, engaging, stands up to repeated readings, and you'll enjoy it as much as the kids do. *** ½
More fun, musically-inclined Boynton, though there's a piece or two of this where the rhythm is such that you might not get it on the first try unless you're familiar with the two-step—might want to give it a quick read-over yourself before launching into it with the kiddies. But like everything Boynton puts out, it's fun, engaging, stands up to repeated readings, and you'll enjoy it as much as the kids do. *** ½
May 7, 2009
Sandra Boynton is a master at getting people physically involved in reading her books. (Literally) - these are just great fun to act out as you read them to your kids. Laughter is pretty much guaranteed. I think this is the best of the Boynton books, and I have them all.
February 10, 2017
All the barnyard animals gather for a dance party! Because they do!
Another fun frolic from Sandra Boynton, the master of rhythm and rhyme and toddler appeal. What else is there to say? (Except that this one isn't from our personal collection -- thanks, Nana's house.)
Another fun frolic from Sandra Boynton, the master of rhythm and rhyme and toddler appeal. What else is there to say? (Except that this one isn't from our personal collection -- thanks, Nana's house.)
June 8, 2008
This book would only be better if it was a barnyard dance with baby farm animals.
March 29, 2011
indio loves this book and can't get enough of emil's country singing. makes you want to get up and square dance!
February 13, 2012
My children love this book. They get up and follow along with the dancing in the story. It is really wonderful.
November 20, 2013
Fun! My little one seems to really enjoy this one and I like reading aloud in a bit of a sing-song way like I'm calling a barn dance ;-)
August 24, 2016
Boynton is wonderful! 'Nuff said.
February 4, 2019
A really enjoyable read, fun rhythm, a great way to read to our newborn in just 3 minutes. Just plain fun!
July 22, 2026
When you’ve read a book 786 times it has to make it onto Goodreads even if it is only 20 pages long!!!!
Elite baby book, Rio cackles every time. Especially when it’s a 2 parent square dancing bonanza. Big rates.
TURN WITH THE COW IN A PATCH OF CLOVER ALL TAKE A BOW AND THE DANCE IS OVERRRRRR.
Elite baby book, Rio cackles every time. Especially when it’s a 2 parent square dancing bonanza. Big rates.
TURN WITH THE COW IN A PATCH OF CLOVER ALL TAKE A BOW AND THE DANCE IS OVERRRRRR.
August 23, 2020
I sing this book to the girls, and I think I might enjoy it more than they do. They know this book so well, they wave goodbye before I even get to the last page that ends the dance and says goodbye.
December 25, 2020
A cow in sunglasses. What more to say.
June 26, 2021
The barnyard animals dance. It’s adorable.
January 5, 2023
Patrick’s absolute favorite book. The amount of times he requests to read it a day is nuts but the huge smile he gets on his face is worth it. 🥰
Displaying 1 - 30 of 669 reviews