The Barn

by Leah H. Rogers, Barry Root (Illustrations)

A sweet, spare debut offers a barn's-eye view of life on a farm, illustrated with grace and gentleness by picture-book veteran Barry Root.

I am a barn. All are safe within my walls.

One hundred years ago, many hands raised a red-cedar barn. Now the barn stands tall, smelling of freshly cut hay and dusty horses. As the animals wake and wander through its weathered doors, the barn watches the day unfold. Chickens peck, cows shoo flies with swishing tails, swallows fly in and out, and a cat crouches in the grass to hunt for dinner. When peepers start their evening song and the animals settle in their bedding again--the horses in their stalls, the cows in their pen, the swallows in their nests--the barn settles, too, until morning, when it gets to live the day all over again. Written by a debut author and narrated by the barnyard's serene sentinel, this lyrical and beautifully illustrated introduction to farm life is also a gentle way to wind down to bedtime.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 12, 2021

About the author

Leah H. Rogers has an MFA in creative writing from Lesley University. This is her first book for children. She lives in New York.

Reviews

[Victoria Rimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and written!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those children who don't know about barns, this is a beautiful one, nostalgic, shows all the animals that could live there, but not all. My grandfather had such a barn, but sheep and mules were there, too. This time, in her first picture book, Leah H. Rogers lets the barn tells its tale, repeating the line to start each page, "I am a barn." It begins with the old-time barn-raising, moving on to the animals of the barn, and a little of what they do, going out to munch what they wish and returning in the evening for rest and safety. (There is a coyote watching, though we are aware, nothing happens.) One thing I loved is seeing a momma cat leaving her kittens nesting while she leaves to search for her "unsuspecting dinner". Illustrations by Barry Root are so realistic, it feels as if you can almost smell the musty hay, the animals that live there. Details fill up the story too, like the page with the kittens. They lie on a hay bale, near a stack of colorful blankets. A wooden ladder is shown, another post holds a straw hat, and a coil of rope. Nearby is a saddle. Farm talk may be very new to some children. This can be a book to read, enjoy, and learn from. Or, if readers know about barns, it's time for sharing memories. Terrific book!

Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetic text written in the voice of an old barn recollects the building's long history and describes all that occurs within its walls as well as outside.

The illustrations are lovely, making great use of light and shadow to portray the interior of the barn and the surrounding farm. There are some people in a few pictures, but mainly the focus is the architecture, animals, and landscape of a farm. The barn is shown from a number of vantage points during different hours of the day, which helps give a full portrait of all that occurs inside a barn.

While the poetic text is enjoyable to read aloud, I would most likely not use this book at story time with young children. It's wordy and very quiet, and though there are animals on many pages, it's not the kind of book that is conducive to a lot of interaction through animal sounds or anything like that. I think its best read-aloud audience would probably be an elementary school class, especially one that is studying farming in some way.

Because farms are a popular topic, this book might get checked out from libraries for that reason, but I'm not sure it's what the typical farm-loving picture book reader is looking for, at least in my suburban neck of the woods. I like the book a lot personally, especially Barry Root's artwork, so we will most likely keep this one, but if I were considering purchasing this for a library, I'd be slightly more hesitant.

I received a finished copy of The Barn from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written in first person, a barn describes its role on the farm.

"I am a barn."

The little red barn is a symbol of the rural midwestern United States. It represents the pioneer spirit, sufficiency, and rugged individualism. It invokes nostalgia for the past, for times long gone that may have never actually existed.

While modern agricultural is almost exclusively large scale industrial monocultural -- even for smaller "family owned" farms, the barn in this picture book is located on a small scale diversified farm. I am old enough to remember small local farms having low level diversification, but now it's either rotating corn and soybeans or hay fields and hog, cow, or chicken CAFOS consuming the rurual landscape with exception of the Amish (Plain Folk). Younger generations are trying to revive small scale diversified farming, and I wish them well.

The story begins with the barn being built 100 years ago. The text features the refrain "I am a barn," followed by a description of a different livestock, plants, or people who live on the farm as well as times of day, weather, and temperature. The repeated phrase allows young readers to participate in the story and anticipate what will happen next.

The illustrations were done in watercolor and gouache.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful calm and simple book that uses beautiful language and illustrations to draw the reader into this environment. As I was reading it I found myself wanting to be in the country to go walking through a barn and greet the animals. I also wanted to imitate the wonderful language style that uses the line "I am a barn" on each page and then details something else that is wonderful about the structure or its inhabitants. This is definitely a book that should be in a lot of classrooms to share a rural lifestyle that many are unfamiliar with and to evoke those calming, caring feelings through the lyrical language.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful red barn, built over 100 years ago, tells about the animals who live in and around it today. The horses and cows, dogs, chickens, the cat and her kittens, and even a coyote who lives in the woods nearby.

Rogers' lyrical text is the perfect pairing with Root's magnificent watercolor illustrations. The views of the farm are absolutely breathtaking, with different views and different times of day, I feel like I've been there. I was nostalgic for my childhood, visiting my cousin on her farm. The poetry is soft and calm, perfect for a bedtime read.

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyrical description of a barn and its various animal inhabitants, told from the point of view of the barn, who gives a morning to night rundown of everything it sees and feels and hears.
The language and the illustrations are both absolutely beautiful, even if this is more like a descriptive slice-of-life book than a story with plot. That being said, there is a tiny bit of suspense when the cat leaves its kittens in the barn and wanders off to catch dinner, and we see a coyote lurking nearby.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gentle, pensive book depicts an idealized day in the country, told from the perspective of an old red barn. Sights like this are becoming increasingly uncommon, and some are hardly seen at all (dairy cows being allowed to live with and care for their calves?)--but this is the way we still like to think of farm life. The illustrations are cozy and sweet.

[Haley Boggess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning illustrations help tell the story of a barn and everything that happens in and around it. From when it was first built to last strong and sturdy for a long time - until baby cows peacefully sleep there every night.

I have been gravitating towards farm books for my son. I feel like they’re often so beautifully illustrated and show a slower, more peaceful side of life.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, lyrical story from the barn's perspective. The art is gorgeous and provided an incredibly sensory experience with the text. I wanted to step right into it. It is like Margaret Wise Brown's "The Big Red Barn" for the next generation.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the sightly nostalgic feel to the illustrations. Nice variety of animals, even barn swallows. Was disappointed that the cows, Holsteins, were not milked when they came to the barn for the evening.

[L.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book geared toward older toddlers (lots of longer descriptions). I didn’t care for each page starting with “I am a barn.” Got repetitive. But it’s almost needed to remind you that the story is uniquely from the barn’s perspective, otherwise you get lost in the scene described on each page.

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was long and some of descriptions seemed off from the main Barn's POV. The pictures matched the story, so that was a bonus. I would read to my child especially if they liked barns and the animals in and around.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful, and the text is poetic and expressive. This picture book is too long and wordy to hold some young children's attention, but is great for older readers who are interested in farm life.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lean, graceful, gentle picture book depicting life on a farm from the perspective of the barn.

[Jennifer Miera · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are gorgeous. I like the language, but it's too boring for storytime.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely descriptive language gives readers a strong sense of life for a barn.

[Carrie Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminds me of my childhood on a farm.

[Erin *BookDragon_Library* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations. A nice ode to a big red barn and all the animals that are kept safe inside the walls. Not a lot of plot but it doesn’t really need one.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Repetitive line and some nearly anthropomorphic description of all that the barn sees, does, and contributes to. life on the farm.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple beauty of a summer evening in the barn.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry Root's dreamy illustrations accompany this story of a barn that houses many different types of animals.

Highly recommended for a storytime about farm animals.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

An elementary and up book told from a barns perspective about all the activities that happen in one day.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations with a reflective text.

[Juli Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lusciously lit illustrations and a rhythmic, timeless story. I would have read this one over and over as a child.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preschool and school-age
Too long for storytime

[Ramya Duvvuru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very pretty artwork. Makes one long to go live on a farm with a barn. The animals, detail, light play alomst life like. The barn, the animals and the cat that seems to be observing everything. So sweet!!

[Melanie Bracco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful picture book of life on a farm told from the viewpoint of the barn; the illustrations are gorgeous, loved it!

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told from the point or view of a barn.
lovely story, lovely page design.

borrowed because I am exploring the work of illustrator Barry Root.