Barn Party - Softcover

Claire O'Brien trained as a teacher and has done many jobs in her time including teaching English in Colombia and drama in the USA. She has also had her children's work published by Simon & Schuster. Claire lives in Heaton, Bradford. Tim Archbold was born in Northumberland and studied at the Newcastle College of Art and the Exeter College of Art and Design where he obtained a B. A. Hons in Graphic Design. He worked at the Newcastle School for Deaf Children and subsequently set himself up as a freelance illustrator. His reputation has gone from strength to strength and he has illustrated over 40 books. Tim also illustrated the excellent Kingfisher Sidesplitters: Knock, Knock! joke collection. His book Be Good, Gordon was a Guardian Book of the Year in 2001. He now lives in Kelso, Roxburghshire.

Gr. 1-3. An arrogant rooster gets his comeuppance in this British import about barnyard society. Rooster agrees to post the chickens' party notice, but he crosses out the "all welcome" and adds "by invitation only." "It's a party for clean, neat animals," he tells himself, and he snootily informs each barnyard character why it isn't invited: duck is too "drippy," pig is too "muddy," and so on. Luckily, the animals learn of Rooster's social treachery and treat him to liberal doses of free-flying muck before decamping to their own party, to which they graciously invite contrite Rooster. Divided smoothly into short chapters, O'Brien's even, clear text tells an entertaining story about accepting differences that is both lively and basic enough for emerging readers. Archbold's scribbly watercolor-and-ink drawings, reminiscent of James Stevenson's work, further extend the strong characters in comical scenes of pompous Rooster and the joyful, messy party, where everyone accepts each other's differences and learns to get along. Another strong I Am Reading title. Gillian Engberg
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