The Farmyard Jamboree - A Barefoot Book Review

Written by: Margaret Read MacDonald
Illustrated by: Sophie Fatus
Read Alone: Ages 4-7
Read Together: Ages 0-4
Paperback; Full-color illustrations; 32pp;
10.25 x 10 inches

Two Fridays ago we stopped by the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy, MA and borrowed some Barefoot Books. We got a few of them including this one “The Farmyard Jamboree”! Well, it wasn’t the exact title though but it was of the same content. I was able to figure out why the change of the title..I realized that the book we got from the library was published in 2002, and the title then was “The Hen, the Chick and the Guitar” which is based on a Chilean folklore! Uhm, another international and multicultural book (Barefoot books is really listening to all the different cultures in the world and it is amazing how they put together wonderful folklore into the eyes of young children)

In this book, a boy dressed in a traditional Chilean costume is receiving different gifts from his relatives - granfather, grandmother, mother, father, uncle, brother, sister, etc…and each one of them gives a pet. As the book progresses, it talks about what is the small animal is called…and it teaches you about counting from 1-20 (until obviously there would be twenty little pets!)


The best part of the book is the way the little boy sings “Ay, ay, ay, ay,…” and how it matches with the Chilean theme part of the book!

If you are a teacher looking for a counting book, introduction of the baby animals, and/or Chilean tradition this is a great book to use. Plus, the lively music and the sound of the guitar uplifts the mood of anybody who is reading and listening to the CD!

Have fun reading The Farmyard Jamboree!