Written by Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrated by Felicia Bond
Published by Harper Festival, 1995
ISBN: 0-694-00624-6
Growing up, I always assumed all children's books were simple. I assumed there was no such thing as a "good board book" and a "bad board book" but after going through education classes I have realized that certain books are better than others when it comes to being developmentally appropriate for children. Big Red Barn, I do not think is developmentally appropriate for the age group it is targeting. Board books are for young children, like infants and toddlers. They are board books because they need to be sturdy for that age group! Infants and toddlers love to put things in their mouths and can be destructive at times. These board books should be short and colorful to keep the attention of these children.
Big Red Barn is about all the animals at a farm. This book goes over the whole day from morning to dusk to dark. The book includes the sounds the animals make and the colors of all the animals as well.
There are many positive things about the book including the illustrations, the use of animal sounds, and the descriptive words Brown uses. The problem with the book is that it is a little long and uses vocabulary that is way above the age level. Some of these words include, "bantam, clutch, and lowed."
I would give this book 2 out of 5 stars because there are some positive aspects in the book but at the same time, it is not the age appropriate for an infant or toddler.
Illustrated by Felicia Bond
Published by Harper Festival, 1995
ISBN: 0-694-00624-6
Growing up, I always assumed all children's books were simple. I assumed there was no such thing as a "good board book" and a "bad board book" but after going through education classes I have realized that certain books are better than others when it comes to being developmentally appropriate for children. Big Red Barn, I do not think is developmentally appropriate for the age group it is targeting. Board books are for young children, like infants and toddlers. They are board books because they need to be sturdy for that age group! Infants and toddlers love to put things in their mouths and can be destructive at times. These board books should be short and colorful to keep the attention of these children.
Big Red Barn is about all the animals at a farm. This book goes over the whole day from morning to dusk to dark. The book includes the sounds the animals make and the colors of all the animals as well.
There are many positive things about the book including the illustrations, the use of animal sounds, and the descriptive words Brown uses. The problem with the book is that it is a little long and uses vocabulary that is way above the age level. Some of these words include, "bantam, clutch, and lowed."
I would give this book 2 out of 5 stars because there are some positive aspects in the book but at the same time, it is not the age appropriate for an infant or toddler.
I agree that those words used in the book are inappropriate for young children. Some adults probably wouldn't even know those words.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right bri, those words are just too advanced for the age range that these sort of books should be targeting.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe that this is by the same author as the classic Goodnight Moon!
ReplyDelete