A Home in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

"There are two supporting actors (in this story) - the blustery wind and the barn itself. I knew my challenge would be to make the wind visible and give a muted voice to the barn. I chose drifting leaves and slightly bent grasses, cornstalks, and trees to suggest the presence of the wind. For the barn I decided on the colour red, to speak to its essential role as a place of warmth and safety." - Jerry Pinkney

It is warm and snug in the barn but it is also noisy and slightly chaotic and just now a new calf has been born. The barn is a shelter from the freezing winter for the farm animals (cows, horses, chickens, a cat, pigs and goats) but also for the field mice, insects and swallows. When I lived in Canada I was fascinated by all the red barns. They look like they belong in a storybook - and here it is! And when you stretch out the cover of this book you can see all of the animals who have moved inside.

This never-before-published picture book from beloved children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown (1910-1952) tells the comforting, snowy story of animals seeking shelter from the cold in a big warm barn. This book was published in 2018. 

This one is filled with the glory of Jerry Pinkney’s genial, radiant, captivating artwork. Every page is a splendor. Orange Marmalade Books

Pinkney’s luminous watercolor-and-pastel illustrations create a cozy environment for the animals, using a double-page–spread format, a large trim size, and a thoughtful design. Tiny details are hidden in the pages, such as a grasshopper perched on a dried cornstalk and a line of ants marching toward the barn, and sound effects from some of the animals are also integrated into the illustrations. An artist’s note gives interesting, specific details about Pinkney’s artistic process. Kirkus

Have you met Jerry Pinkney (1939-2021) - by that I mean are you familiar with his unique and wonderful illustrations? I was so lucky to see him at a USBBY conference in 2019. 

Jerry Pinkney was "widely acclaimed for his picture books honoring his Black heritage as well as for his richly detailed works reimagining well-loved fairy and folktales," noted Publishers Weekly. His version of The Lion & the Mouse by Aesop was awarded the Caldecott Medal, and his books also received five Caldecott Honor citations. He was recognized with two lifetime achievement awards: the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now known as the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) and the Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award. Harper Collins

This is another of those bargain books I picked up from a large bookstore in our city. They have culled their children's books acquired in 2018 and earlier. A Home in the Barn has been waiting for a new home since December 2018. The price may have been the factor - it was AUS$30 but with the 50% off sale my copy was way more affordable. And it has a dust jacket and is printed on high quality paper. The price of this book is now way beyond the budget of any school library at AUS$40.