Merry mayhem ensues when barnyard inhabitants decide to switch homes for the day. Throughout the farmyard, mischievous animals pop up in unexpected places—an owl in the birdhouse, a rooster in the stable, sheep in the pigsty. A couple of bewildered farmers spend their day chasing after the wayward creatures, woefully lamenting, "What shall we do?" However, when dinnertime approaches, the farmers discover everyone has settled in their proper places once again. Blackstone's rhymes perk along at a sprightly pace; bouncy verses provide readers with information about familiar barn animals, their sounds, and their domestic habitats. "There's a dove in the dairy, coo, coo, coo! He should be in the birdhouse, what shall we do?" Beaton's collages, created out of a mixture of felt, stitchery, beads, and buttons, capture the homespun charm of the country. The double-paged, full-color spreads are intricately detailed; layers of materials lend depth and texture to the pages, creating images that seem to pop off the pages. From tiny pink piglets gleefully scampering about to playful lambs splattering mud, these frisky illustrations have just the right kind of silliness that will appeal to preschool readers. (Picture book. 1-4)
