The Hundred-Year Barn

by Patricia MacLachlan (Author) Kenard Pak (Illustrator)

The Hundred-Year Barn
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan's poignant text and award-winning artist Kenard Pak's gentle and rustic illustrations paint the picture of a beautiful red barn and the people who call it home.

One hundred years ago, a little boy watched his family and community come together to build a grand red barn. This barn become his refuge and home--a place to play with friends and farm animals alike.

As seasons passed, the barn weathered many storms. The boy left and returned a young man, to help on the farm and to care for the barn again. The barn has stood for one hundred years, and it will stand for a hundred more: a symbol of peace, stability, caring and community.

In this joyful celebration generations of family and their tender connection to the barn, Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan and award-winning artist Kenard Pak spin a tender and timeless story about the simple moments that make up a lifetime.

This beautiful picture book is perfect for young children who are curious about history and farm life.

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Hardcover
$19.99

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

In meditative prose, Newbery-winner MacLachlan commemorates the life of a great barn. Pak (Cat Wishes) pictures the initially youthful narrator in a bright red cap and suspenders ("I was only five years old") watching as the barn is raised by neighbors and family members--grainy, ghostly figures against sepia tones. The narrator's father loses his wedding ring somewhere in the confusion, and the group feasts to celebrate their finished work, then poses for a group photograph. The narrator's father announces a toast: "The barn will be called the hundred-year barn." Lyrical writing conveys the slow passage of time ("Seasons went by. The cows were milked"). Pak lingers over the barn's livestock and its cathedral-like interior. The boy eventually marries (his red cap is larger now), the barn becomes his, and one day, he finds the lost wedding ring in an unexpected place. MacLachlan and Pak invite readers into the rhythms of the small family farm and important moments, small and great, over a century of its life. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Sept.)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2--MacLachlan's gift for portraying bucolic bliss returns in this account of a 1919 barn raising and the narrator's experiences with the building as years pass. When Jack is five, his community gathers for the framing, building, raising, and painting of what his father dubs the Hundred-Year Barn. Meanwhile, youngsters play in a stream, chow down at celebration feasts, and share scary story at sleepovers in the barn. The narrator ages, assuming tasks of responsibility for the structure and its residents. Sweeping the barn as an adult, Jack discovers a fallen nest containing the wedding ring his father lost during the barn build. Pak applies gouache, pencil, ink, and digital media for folksy illustrations that offer warm gold overtones, and complement the narrator's ever-red cap. Fox, possum, cat, dog, and mouse each meander into the story with winsome expressions, adding to the serene mood. VERDICT This story's poetry and pace are mellow, ideal for a quiet time.--Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for CHICKEN TALK: "Krosoczka's expressive illustrations bring humor and tenderness to each character, human and chicken. MacLachlan's latest models an attentive, loving, and respectful relationship between humans and their animal companions that even those without articulate pets will appreciate. A sweet, silly...celebration of individuality and connection."—Kirkus Reviews
Patricia MacLachlan
Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; Edward's Eyes; The True Gift; Waiting for the Magic; White Fur Flying; Fly Away; and Snow Horses. She lived in western Massachusetts.

Micha Archer illustrated The Wise Fool, Lola's Fandango, Prairie Days, and Snow Horses, and wrote and illustrated Daniel Finds a Poem. Working in collage and oil, her use of color and pattern is influenced by the folk art, crafts, and architecture of the countries she has visited and lived in. She realized the importance of the book as a teaching tool after teaching kindergarten and raising two children. Micha divides her time between Costa Rica and western Massachusetts, where she lives in the house she and her husband built, surrounded by gardens and forest to roam in.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062687739
Lexile Measure
620
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Katherine Tegen Books
Publication date
September 17, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV002090 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Farm Animals
JUV025000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | Farm Life & Ranch Life
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Families
Family life
Farms
Barns

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