Synopses & Reviews
A fickle farmer can't decide on the perfect pet in this lighthearted story of barnyard mishap. Spirited rhymes and brightly colored artwork tell the tale of a farmer whose picky nature causes him all sorts of beastly embarrassments. He starts out with a dog and after rejecting all manner of barnyard animals ends up right back where he started. Children will love the predictability of the tale and surely relate to this farmer's quandary.
Review
"Repeated requests for this playful tale are virtually guaranteed." —Booklist
Review
and#147;Repeated requests for this playful tale are virtually guaranteed.and#8221; Booklist, ALA
and#147;The infectious cadence of rhymed couplets suggests the naive quality of a folk song in this tale of a feckless, fickle farmer whose search for the right pet leads to a series of mishaps. . . . Predictable sequencing combined with deceptively simple, brightly toned illustrations, executed in a childlike and#151; but far from childish and#151; style, guarantee the bookand#8217;s appeal for preschool story hours and family read-alouds. . . . The book is a delight.and#8221; Horn Book
About the Author
Bolam was born and raised in the English countryside. She studied Illustrations at Brighton College of Art and is the illustrator of many popular books for children, including Murphy Meets the Treadmill, Louie's Goose, Clara Ann Cookie, and I Swapped My Dog, also a big fan of swapping, hopes to make at least one good swap this year. She makes her home in England.Harriet Ziefert draws on a true story told to her by Santiago Cohen for the text of this Christmas tale. This is her first picture book collaboration with him, though they know each other from their many years in neighboring New Jersey towns.