PHOTO SOURCE: Pixabay.com
The holiday season is usually filled with hustle and bustle. There is so much craziness going with people trekking all over the place to find the “perfect” present. There is also wrapping, baking, cooking, parties, long lines, traffic… It can be overwhelming at times.
Not too many (myself included) take the time to “stop and smell the roses,” so to speak. There is so much beauty to be found in the simple things in life.
There is a new book from Michelle Houts called Barn at Night that would make a great bedtime story to share with your child/grandchild. It’s a beautiful story with calming, colorful illustrations by Jen Betton.
“Quiet and peaceful – an antidote to the daytime hustle and bustle of city life.”
– Kirkus Reviews
I have not yet had the opportunity to read the entire book, but I’ve seen the book’s trailer (see below).
Here is more information about the book.
A beautiful and sweet celebration of a barn at night will help children fall asleep and also learn more about life on a farm. This after-dark journey out to the barn, even on the coldest winter evening, can be a warm and welcoming scene. The young narrator gently details what actually goes on in a barn at night. Who is awake, who is asleep, and who is just making their first appearance in the barn? Smells, sounds and sights are quietly revealed to young readers.
Michelle Houts’ lyrical poetry paired with Jen’s glowing watercolors create a warm and wonderful bedtime story – best shared together.
Here is some additional information about the author and illustrator that you might find interesting.
About the author:
Michelle Houts is the author of more than a dozen books for young readers. Her debut novel, The Beef Princess of Practical County, has been featured by the American Farm Bureau Foundation and won a Best Book of the Year from Nebraska Farm Bureau. Houts writes from a restored one-room schoolhouse in Ohio. Find out more at www.michellehouts.comAbout the illustrator:
Jen Betton grew up playing on friends’ farms in Pennsylvania. Illustrating Barn at Night gave her a delightful excuse to lurk around old barns and feed goats. Her other books include Hedgehog Needs a Hug (winner of Pennsylvania’s Keystone to Reading Award), which she both wrote and illustrated, and Twilight Chant, written by Holly Thompson. She now lives with her family near Dallas, Texas. You can see more of her work at www.jenbetton.com
This book was published by a publisher that I never heard of until now. I visited their website to check out more books that they have published.
Feeding Minds Press has several interesting books, including FREE books that you can download (.PDF files) and print out (or read online). They even have an online game.
Here is some additional information about Feeding Minds Press.
Feeding Minds Press is a project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The mission of the Foundation is to build awareness and understanding of agriculture through education. The goal of Feeding Minds Press is to publish accurate and engaging books about agriculture that connect readers to where their food comes from and who grows it. Learn more at: Feeding Minds Press.
As a parent, and someone who works with children, I like the idea of children learning about agriculture and where their food comes from.
You can purchase Barn at Night on the publisher’s website.
There is also a FREE activity kit you might be interested in. You can find it HERE.
If you are an educator, you might be interested in this FREE educator’s guide, that you can find HERE.
I have a wonderful giveaway for this book. The lucky winner will receive a copy of Barn at Night, as well as an adorable plush cat that looks similar to the one that appears on the cover. This would be a great new “friend” to snuggle with as you read this book to your child/grandchild (or when they read it to themselves).
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and will end on December 15, 2021. The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via email and will have three (3) days to respond or a new winner will be chosen in their place.
To enter, please comment on this post and tell me why you’d like to win this giveaway.
For additional entries you can use the Rafflecopter widget below.
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the enjoyment of site readers. Any comments expressed are my own unless otherwise noted. The sponsor will be providing the prize package.
