Charming picture book brings 1800s farmhouse to life for readers
This gem of a picture book reminds me of The Little House by Virginia Burton (do you know that one?) It’s sure to be a classic & certainly deserves a spot on all children’s book shelves.
The true story of a family with 12 children
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall tells the story of an 1800s farmhouse in NY state which once was home to a family with 12 children.
In this house, the kids carved potatoes to make stamps to pattern the walls; and they bowed their heads to pray over homemade soup and torn bread.
The children spent their days milking cows, fishing for trout, picking apples, doing chores, and taking turns tending to the youngest little one. They played with tin cars and kept nature collections of feathers and bones and laid in bed at night and poured over books about planets & stars.
The Inspiration for the Story
What’s really neat about this story is that at the end, the author has a note about the actual farmhouse that inspired the book.
“I was convinced then and there that I needed to honor this farmhouse. Even though it was falling down and beyond repair.”
After purchasing the old farmhouse, she went through and took clippings of curtains, newspapers, old prints and all sorts of things from the house and made the book’s illustrations from them.
“The pictures in this book are made from layers. I began with the reverse side of a roll of wallpaper and added floors and walls and furniture, made from scraps and fragments I found in the house.”
You can see a behind-the-scenes clip of how Sophie pieced the illustrations together here on her Instagram.
A book to be treasured for generations
I totally recommend adding this picture book to your library list for your next read aloud session with kids of any age.
This book will be a timeless classic appreciated for generations to come.
What is Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall about?
Over a hill, at the end of a road, by a glittering stream stands an old farmhouse where 12 children lived in the 1800s.
These 12 children eat and sleep and work and play. They get into trouble, and argue and dream, and milk cows and fish in the stream.
And in this farmhouse they grow up, waiting to see what the future might bring.
What age is this book best for?
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall is a perfect read aloud for all ages of children & can be appreciated by both young and old (even adults).
What topics does this book cover?
Farmhouse takes readers on an enchanting visit to a farmhouse across time. It speaks of pastimes of long ago as well as of the love & memories shared between family members.
Who wrote this book?
Farmhouse is written and illustrated by two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall.
Sophie has illustrated dozens of beautiful books, including Hello Lighthouse and Finding Winnie. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York and can be found on Instagram @SophieBlackall.
What extension activities could I do with this book?
Take a drive through the country.
Measure & mark your children’s heights on a door frame.
Take a impromptu family photo.
Make potato stamps.
Read a book about the planets & stars by lantern light.
Play with small toy cars.
Make a nature collection of outdoor finds.
Visit a dairy farm to see cows.
Go fishing.
Visit an apple orchard or simply make an apple pie.
Assign everyone fun chores & work together while listening to music.
Make homemade soup or fresh bread (and say a blessing over it).
Mend a shirt or sock.
Take a walk in the woods.
Make a collage of recycled or found items.
Create a cardboard box diorama of the rooms and layout of your home or create an imagined farmhouse.
If you love this book, you’ll also love…
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran
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