“In her delightful verse, Melica Hudgens treats her readers to a fanciful visit to the barnyard, with the rhythm of her rhyming words as well as the large, colorful pictures. We love meeting the characters who live there and seeing their feelings about other animals who could be invited to the big barnyard party. We are not only entertained but also gently instructed. This book promises to be a big favorite for children and the adults who read to them! Hooray for this latest book in Cedar Fort’s excellent children’s picture book collection!”
—Margaret D. Nadauld, author, grandmother of many, and retired English teacher
“Children love playing with words like gobbledygook, flimflam, and fiddle-dee-dee. With its gentle good humor, rhyme, and clever illustrations, this story of a barnyard party enthralls kids while teaching the importance of choosing inclusion over cliques. It invites children to leave their poppycock behind and join in the fun of respecting uniqueness—with a loud doodle-doo.”
—Lehua Parker, author of the Niuhi Shark Saga trilogy
Praise for Jay Fontana’s artwork from a dear friend and accomplished artist, Debbie Jarman:
Dear Mr. Fontano,
Melica Hudgens is a very dear friend of mine of many years. I fell in love with her poem about the barnyard and was so thrilled when she decided to try to get it published. I could picture every detail as I read it and imagined how the artwork should be. I just wanted to let you know that your portrayal of the barnyard and all its characters far exceeded anything I could imagine. You totally brought this little story to life with the wonderful expressions on animal faces—you took me right to the farm. I know that any child who gets their hands on this delightful piece of work will be thrilled with their book. Thank you so much for sharing your talent.
Sincerely,
Debbie Jarman