Under the Barnyard Light
by Carla Crane Osborne, Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)
DETAILS:
Publisher: Gogonago
Publication Date: November 17, 2020
Format: Hardcover
Length: 26 pg.
Read Date: June 29, 2024
What’s Under the Barnyard Light About?
This book follows a young girl as she takes care of some farm chores on a cold and wintry night.
Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute
No slight intended toward the text, but the art here is the star of the show. That’s a commentary on the art, not the text. Few authors would be able to compete (not that it’s a competition). Dorman’s just fantastic. In these pages, he combines realism with a style that will appeal to the younger readers. The colors might not be bright enough and the art “loud” enough to get the youngest readers, but he’ll draw in those north of two (I think). It looks painted, not drawn and colored.
When I checked out his website, I realized I’d held other books that he’d illustrated and/or done the covers for–several of them, actually. My kids even owned some of them growing up.
How is it to Read Aloud?
Like Every Dreaming Creature, this book seems to demand a quiet reading voice–this is a book for settling down for the night (or at least a nap).
I will admit that the first time I read this myself, I got distracted by the rhyme scheme and ended up spending more time paying attention to it and trying to suss out the pattern. Take it from me–don’t do it. Just read it line by line–or couplet by couplet–while being ready to deal with frequent non-rhyming lines. If you go looking for a pattern or a rhythm, you’ll be lost.
Just sit back, adopt a hushed tone, and read. If you do that, you’ll find it to be a nice, soothing read. The text–and the art–are gentle and cozy. You read it that way and you’ll be set.
What did the Little Critter think of It?
He seemed to like the pictures, but had no patience for the book, we only got three pages into it before he was finished. In fairness, he’s young–and I picked a wrong time to try it. He wasn’t in the mood for a quiet book.
But I’m confident that when I try again, he’ll be fine with it.
So, what did I think about Under the Barnyard Light?
I enjoyed this–it did make me think of Every Dreaming Creature and settling down for the night–it’s a quiet book, it’s a calming book. Between the atmosphere, the soft edges of the art, and the way the text carries you along–I imagine this is going to be a bedtime favorite for many. Including the grandcritter in a few months.
This definitely inclines me to read more by Osborne, I’m curious to see what she does with different kinds of stories (for example, I doubt Pony Express is the kind of book you curl up with on your way to sleep).
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