Barn Dance! - Hardcover

Martin, Bill; Archambault, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805000895 ISBN 13: 9780805000894

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 1986

Synopsis

In an old farmhouse, bathed in the light of the full moon, a young boy hears a voice calling to him. He sneaks out of the house and walks toward the barn, where he can hear the sweet sound of a country fiddler and the rhythmic thumping of dancing feet. But who could be having a barn dance in the middle of the night?

Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault perfectly capture the bouncing cadence of a square dance caller, and Ted Rand's luminous paintings bring the nighttime countryside to life in this enchanting book that begs to be read aloud.

About this title

About the Author

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916-2004) was an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet. His more than 300 books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, are a testament to his ability to speak directly to children. Martin held a doctoral degree in early childhood education. Born in Kansas, he worked as an elementary-school principal in Chicago before moving to New York City, where he worked in publishing developing innovative reading programs for schools. After several years, he devoted himself full-time to writing his children's books. He lived in New York until 1993, when he moved to Texas. He lived in the east Texas woods, near the town of Commerce, until he passed away in 2004.

John Archambault is a poet, journalist, and storyteller who has collaborated with Bill Martin Jr. and Ted Rand on several books, including The Ghost-Eye Tree and Knots on a Counting Rope.

Ted Rand (1915-2005) was a prolific artist whose illustrations appeared in several magazines and newspapers, as well as in numerous books for children. He collaborated with both Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault on many books, including Here Are My Hands.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3 With a rhythmic cadence Martin and Archambault build their story from a quiet moonlit night when ``there's magic in the air'' to a very special foot stompin' party and back again. On this eerie night everyone is asleep except for the ``skinny kid with questions in his head.'' With him readers sneak out to the barn and hide just in time to see all the farm animals kick up their heels to the scarecrow's fiddle music. While the words are a delight to hear (albeit it's a bit hard to get the tongue around on some lines), Rand's pictures make the story come alive. The two-page spreads range from the barn standing ghost-like in the full moonlight to the colorful interior of the barn, where the figures seem to be in perpetual motion. An engaging blend of words and pictures to set both the mind and eye dancing. Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
• Publication date: 1986
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0805000895
• ISBN 13: 9780805000894
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Rand Ted
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32