Here’s this week’s choice for Perfect Picture Book Fridays —
Big Red Barn
Written by Margaret Wise Brown
Pictures by Felicia Bond
Harper Collins Publishers, 1956, this version 1989

Suitable for: Ages 2 to 6

Theme/Topic: Animals, Farm, Rhyme

Opening: By the big red barn
In the great green field,

There was a pink pig
Who was learning to squeal.

Brief Synopsis: From the cover — There were horses and sheep and goats and geese — and a jaunty old scarecrow leaning on his hoe. And they all lived together by the big red barn. In joyous and exuberant pictures, Felicia Bong lovingly evokes Margaret Wise Brown’s simple, rhythmic text about the cycle of a day on a farm, where a family of animals peacefully plays and sleeps.

Link to resources: Margaret Wise Brown’s website doesn’t have a working link for items for children. There is a PDF of “Writing for 5 year olds.” Here’s a five-day theme unit on farms.

Why I chose this book:

Fun art on the hardcover hidden under the cover.

The artwork makes me smile. I love the pig and corn stalk found on the cover under the dust jacket.

Margaret Wise Brown lived an interesting life, according to her bio. Death was no different — “… Margaret died of an embolism after kicking up her leg can-can style to show her doctor how good she was feeling.” Wow.

Check out more Perfect Picture Books at Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog.