Product Description

'Chug! Chug! White Rabbit drives the tractor across the field. What a lot of noise it makes!' 'Baa! Baa! Brown Rabbit is taking the sheep to a field where there is a lot of juicy fresh grass to eat.' Alan Baker's lovable and popular Little Rabbits' are back in an adorable first farmyard book that introduces young children to key topics such as animal names, homes, noises, and families. The text, alive with animal noises and so much fun to read aloud, is packed with themes and ideas to explore. There's a playful, satisfying storyline, an irresistible cast of farmyard animals, and reference panels on every page that contain a wealth of extra detail to discuss and enjoy. With suggestions for simple activities and a helpful note for parents, this is a great book to share with young children and a terrific early learning resource.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1441947 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-15
• Released on: 2001-09-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Alan Baker's newest Little Rabbit offering is perfect for preschoolers. In Little Rabbits' First Farm Book, full-color spreads (with a loose story line) nestle next to informative sidebars. For instance, a spread called "Cattle Moo-ing" shows Little Rabbit feeding the animals hay. The sidebar asks, "Did You Know?" then answers, "Cows eat grass to make milk. Hay is dried grass." Below, a portrait of the animal family depicts bull, cow and calf. The back pages suggest games and practical extensions for teaching concepts. (Kingfisher, $11.95 32p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-7534-5352-5; Sept.) Little Rabbits' First Number Book and Little Rabbits' First Word Book are now in paperback.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Preschool--While the text and color illustrations are charming and will no doubt delight young children, they give a false impression of modern American farms. This is problematic because the book aims to provide an understanding of life beyond urban society, to help children "appreciate how nature affects our everyday lives," and to "develop an affinity with the natural world-." Misleading information includes pigs in a sty (not the case on most hog farms), mallard ducks (wild, not domesticated), a dairy cow with a Hereford bull (beef), and a ram with horns (a rarity on today's farms). Still, the author's intentions are good. Four rabbits introduce various aspects of the farm, sharing the double-page spreads with boxed, simple facts about the makeup of animal families (ram, ewe, lamb) and the products they provide (wool). Wheat and apples are also included. The illustrations show warm and friendly creatures in a realistic folk-art style. However, comparative size is disregarded-the rabbits are nearly as large as the cow. The book's strength is the "Note to Parents," which includes suggestions for using this title to develop vocabulary, verbal and observational skills, and reading readiness. Simple games are suggested to continue the playful learning experience. Unfortunately, the combination of story and facts in sidebars may be too confusing for the intended audience.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 2-4. Baker's rabbits, who previously helped children learn to tell time and count, now take kids on a tour of the farm. But this isn't just a look-book. Baker offers all sorts of ways that children can interact with the farm experiences. Each two-page spread features Baker's precisely drawn rabbits engaged in some farm chore, such as milking the cows and feeding chickens. A boxed "Do You Know?" section, a quarter of each spread, offers a simple bit of text ("Hens can lay eggs every day") and visual cues keyed to activities and objects. As in Baker's other books, the design is very accessible, with eye-catching, meticulously created pictures set against expanses of white. A note to parents details the many ways the book can be used: to heighten observational skills, increase vocabulary, and have fun with games provided at the book's conclusion. Ilene Cooper
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