A new children’s book is now available for families searching for a captivating agriculture story to share. Barn at Night, featuring lyrical poetry and glowing watercolors, is now available from Feeding Minds Press, the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s publishing venture.
“In Barn at Night, readers discover the certain magic of a farm in the quiet predawn hours,” Foundation for Agriculture Executive Director Daniel Meloy said. “It is our hope that this book will illustrate the dedication of farmers and ranchers in caring for their animals, day in and day out, long before the rest of the world springs to life.”
This heartwarming, yet true-to-life tale, written by Michelle Houts and illustrated by Jen Betton, invites readers along as a father and daughter go out to the barn on a cold winter night and are welcomed with an enchanting scene. The pair discover who is awake, who is asleep and who is just making their first appearance in the barn.
“One of the best ways and the most organic ways to help students learn is just through stories. And so, books are an excellent vehicle for this kind of information, especially with a lot of the pictures to help tell the story. Kids are so visual. Books like Barn at Night really help young learners understand where their food comes from, who grows it and how they grow it,” Julia Recko, the Foundation’s Education Outreach director, said.
To complement the book, Feeding Minds Press created several engaging companion resources, including an activity kit, an in-depth video from the book’s illustrator showing her creative process and a blog post from the book’s author explaining her inspiration for the book. A full educator’s guide is available or a sample lesson plan can be viewed here.
Barn at Night is the fourth printed title from Feeding Minds Press, which published Right This Very Minute in January 2019, Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish in March 2020, and My Family’s Soybean Farm in January 2021.
Feeding Minds Press also offers several free printable books that focus on careers in agriculture. The book is available for purchase directly from Feeding Minds Press, as well as on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.