A Guest Is a Guest Author:John Himmelman It's a house full of fun when Farmer Beanbucket's animals engineer a friendly takeover. Farmer Beanbucket's hospitality is pushed to the limit--and beyond--when all the yard animals come clamoring inside for the comforts of home. With a light, witty touch, the author leads readers to a silly surprise ending, which shows that turnabout is fair--a... more »nd fowl--play. Full-color illustrations.
School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3-- The Beanbuckets, who hold their farm animals in the highest regard, find out that hospitality can get out of hand. Billy Beanbuckets has developed a special friendship with a clever little piglet, Oliver. When Oliver spends the night in the house, the "foot in the door" scenario is played out to the hilt--all the pigs enter. When they are soon joined by hens, horses, cows, and ducks, the Beanbuckets resort to a brilliant case of gentle persuasion by moving to the barn. The animals watch and are soon lured back to their former lifestyle. A very satisfying surprise conclusion shows Himmelman's grasp of childhood logic. These creatures display as much personality and range of facial expressions as their human hosts. The pictures, while large enough to share with a group, also invite closer examination, which will reveal many a comic detail (including a family picture of the Beanbuckets on the barn wall). This story of agrarian chaos would be a good companion to Chicken Tricks (HarperCollins, 1983) by Megan Lloyd.
[Lisa S. Murphy, Dauphin Co. Library Sys., Harrisburg, PA]« less