Going to Sleep on the Farm

by Wendy Cheyette Lewison, Juan Wijngaard

As a father helps his young son get ready for bed, the child asks how the various animals in the barnyard prepare fo the night, in a beautifully illustrated bedtime story.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Family, Nature, Kids, Fiction

24 pages, Hardcover

First published May 4, 1992

About the author

Wendy Cheyette Lewison has written many books for children, including a Bank Street College Children's Book of the Year, Going to Sleep on the Farm. She lives in Westchester County, New York.
—(from Simon & Schuster's website)

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a sweet book! The illustrations are lovely. Perfect for a bedtime story.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that days with a toddler must be filled with innumerable repetitive books featuring animal sounds. It's not the most thrilling part of parenthood. So when I realized that every time I read this particular repetitive farm animal book I actually love it more, I decided it was worth an explanatory five-star review.

This is one of those rare and wonderful children's books in which the simple text is deepened through the illustrations. There is a whole unwritten story revealed in the pictures of the father patiently answering his son's questions, helping him as he cleans up his toys and goes to bed. It is touching, partly because only the adults reading the book will recognize and empathize with the father's sidewise glance at his watch, his son's sprawling little body in the midst of picking up toys, the little boy's revealing yawn as he persistently asks his questions, or the tenderness of the father carrying his son to bed.

Alongside this so-familiar scenario are truly gorgeous illustrations of the farm animals. Both in close-ups and in scenes of the barnyard, there is always more to look at, even for the adults reading to their little ones. Varying perspectives of the farm, the fact that the little boy is putting away his own toy animals, or that his comforter is decorated with the same farm animals all show how much thought the author and illustrator put into the composition of this story. And the endpapers in the book are stunning: in the front, a view of the farm at sunrise with a lark singing; in the back, the same view under moonlight with an owl. Even my very young toddler loves looking at these detailed pictures.

The text itself is sweetly repetitive, in a lulling way just right for a going-to-bed book. The boy's questions are formulaic, but the rhyming answers from the father are informative, poetic, clever, and varied--all in the space of brief couplets. They manage to be simple enough that children will understand and remember them without striking the longsuffering adult narrator as inane on the umpteenth reading.

I am so grateful to the friend who gave us this book when my son was born. She wrote in it that it was one of her favorites as a child, and I hope one day my own children will remember it just as fondly.

[Lauren Monsey Nagel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a delightful story that shares a conversation between a little boy and his father at the end of the day. The boy is still playing on the floor as he asks his questions. The dad is right there telling him a story about how the animals sleep. Heartwarming and cozy to read to little ones.
Every time my grandson spends the night this book gets read. Dan is getting older now, he's 7 years old and can read this book himself now but he still enjoys this being read before bedtime. I enjoy it too. The pictures are wonderful as well and look so real. I almost feel as if I'm right there on the farm looking in at the animals. This book will delight little ones and grown ups too. Such a sweet before bed read. Warning if you read this to a child before bed it may become a nightly ritual.

[Laura (Book Scrounger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet rhyming book about how animals go to sleep on the farm. Predictable, but it's the artwork that really sets this apart. The golden shades of light at dusk are so beautiful, as well as the details and scope of the farmyard scene.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a perfect bedtime book for young children. The text is repetitive and rhythmic, the images brought to mind by the words are cozy and comforting, and the art work is beautifully evocative of evening sunilight. My kids and I loved this book when they were young.

[Kaili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book only for the illustrations. They’re so warm, and the Father and Son sleepy progression and carry to bed hit home. I just love this.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children have all enjoyed this book for bedtime reading. Our copy no longer has the hard front or back cover; it is that well loved. The book is best for very young children, those learning animal identification and animal sounds...I would guess infant-age three or four.

A boy has his farm animals out and asks his father how each animal goes to sleep. The dad, who at first is reading a book himself (love it!), answers his son is rhyme. As the story progresses another animal is added to the illustration and night sets in. The boy is put to bed in the end, and the farm animals are all on his blanket.

Simple but good.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book for the illustrations, in which sunset scenes of farm life are beautifully drawn. The colors and the peacefulness of the scenes make me sleepy even as I read it. A great bedtime book!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my son's favorite books - my mom got it for him and we read it EVERY night for a long time - great illustrations and just a wonderfully sweet story - I used to know it by heart and could recite it to him even when we did not have the book!

[Lucy Ingram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for asking children questions about what they're observing in the story. The story itself also asks questions which you can also direct towards children. Very informative and also perfect illustration in order for children to gain a great understanding.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bedtime stories are always fun, especially when they talk about how animals go to bed. There is rhyming and interaction throughout the story and the pictures bring a feeling of nostalgia. I loved the picture with the family of pigs going to sleep in a large heap and I even found myself counting each of the pigs which totaled one for each member of my family. I love farm animals and the serenity that is found living on a farm. Good night little animals.

[Ellen Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going to Sleep on the Farm is a picture book. It was written for children ages 5-6 years old. It describes what every animal on a farm does to get ready to sleep. This was one of my favorite books as a child. I had it read to me every night until I had it memorized. The rhyming makes the words flow perfectly. This book is perfect for children who love animals and love learning what sounds they make. Going to Sleep on the Farm has realistic illustrations showing what animals really look like.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book to read before I went to bed when I was little. You can learn the basic understanding of animals from this book. Growing up on a farm allowed me to relate to this book and it will always be one of my favorites.

[Ginelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, rhyming book where a son asks his father how the animals on the farm go to sleep. Simple, with awesome illustrations (I wanted to like this book more just because of them), could work well as a learning to read book because of the rhythm and repetition.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different from your typical goodnight story. Starts off with a small boy playing on the floor with some farm animals and fence pieces, next to his father and asking how each of the animals go to sleep (only 5 animals - cow, duck, horse, chicken, pig) then how the boy himself goes to sleep.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 2 year old loves this book so much. It's very simple and basic but Oliver loves the sing songy writing and the cozy simple art style. We've read this book at least 30 times. Thank you Wendy Cheyette Lewison and Juan Wijngaard for this beautiful book :)

[Charity (TAKING A BREAK) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It still baffles me, at the age of 28, that horses sleep standing up. My brain cannot fathom this information.

The art by Juan Wijngaard is 10/10. One of the reasons I loved this book as a kid was because of the art.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a cute story of a father and son discussion about how animals fall asleep. It was very repetitive for me however.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of our very favorite bedtime books

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art work is beautiful and it's a great way to put someone to sleep. The boys and I learned a few things about how farm animals sleep.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of repetition and animal sounds to imitate, this one is great for the young crowd!

[Hannah Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children learn how animals go to sleep and the sounds they make.

[Lawrence Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a child's inquisitive nature asking his dad how various farm animals go to sleep, while trying to fight sleep himself.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet illustrations

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arlo reviews: "like it, like it. Cows go to sleep"

[Hannah Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. The story was short. The pictures were good and it would be a great bedtime story for young kids.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realistic illustrations, repetitive verse.

[Sarah Limb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute bedtime story. And it teaches about animals too which is cool.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something very sweet about this repetitive story. Great bedtime book.

[Alexandra Hegge · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfect bedtime book that also answers questions about farm animals. Easy to understand and straight to the point great illustrations as well.