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[Following is a volunteer review of "Farmer Beau's Farm" by Kathleen Geiger.]

Farmer Beau's Farm is a picture book written by Kathleen Geiger. Farmer Beau and his wife Bamma live happily on a farm. Bamma tends to the home while Farmer Beau takes care of the garden and grounds. One day while taking a break from their respective chores, Farmer Beau and Bamma notice six kittens on the property. After a while all but one of them leave, and they decide to name the remaining kitten Kailey. Soon Kailey is joined by a rabbit named Samantha, and they become fast friends. All goes well until Kailey and Samantha overhear Farmer Beau and Bamma discussing the imminent arrival of a new addition to the farm.

Kailey and Samantha at first become anxious about the new arrival. They wonder what the addition could possibly be, since they overheard that it is an unusual creature for a farm. Soon they see construction happening in preparation for the new animal, and their curiosity and anxiety peak. After the animal arrives, neither Kailey nor Samantha knows quite how to respond. Their character is put to the test, and the outcome makes up the rest of the tale.

Farmer Beau's Farm is an endearing story about being different, making friends and accepting one another. Through each stage of the story children can learn about new experiences and hospitality. The book is ideal for reading to preliterate children. There are some words that very young readers may find difficult to sound out. I would say children ages 7-8 would most easily be able read the book on their own. Children who enjoy animal stories may like Farmer Beau's Farm. The story is one that many people can relate to, with its emphasis on accepting people who are different from oneself.

The most notable drawback of the story for me was the pictures. One of the main reasons children's books are appealing is that they have beautiful, interesting, funny or otherwise engaging illustrations. Farmer Beau's Farm contains what look like computer-generated pictures. They are colorful, but 2-dimensional. They don't have the kind of depth or interest that I expect from a picture book.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The story has lessons to teach the young and old alike, but the illustrations were a bit flat and unengaging. One of the main draws of children's books is the artwork. As such, better illustrations would have earned Farmer Beau's Farm a higher rating.

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Farmer Beau's Farm
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Like e-tasana-williams's review? Post a comment saying so!

Illustrations are definitely important with this kind of book. Young kids are more drawn to illustrations than anything else at that age. Still, it sounds like a good story with a good message. Thanks for your review.