MY FARM

by Alison Lester ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1994

A year in the life of an Australian farm, told by one of the kids (probably the young Lester, as a note at the end of the book suggests) in a gentle, understated tone. Readers are taken through the seasonal chores, from calving to roundup. It is a particular knack of Lester's (Isabella's Bed, 1993) to insinuate lots of faithful, suggestive touches into the story: autumn leaves sent spinning behind the running horses, brushfires casting an eerie yellow light, an orphaned calf dressed in the jacket of a dead calf so as to be adopted by the mother, a perfect fairy ring of autumn mushrooms. The cadence of the text is warm and comforting, with enough breaks and shifts of direction to keep it from becoming treacly. One nice twist is the minor confusion that results from the flip-flopping of austral seasons: It's fun to get caught out when you exclaim, ""That can't be!,"" and then remember where you are. Lester's illustrations are full of detail and care, instinctively right with either a sheep slaughter or a Christmas morning.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1994

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1994

Categories: CHILDREN'S