FICTION

Escape from Baxter's Barn

by Rebecca BOND
illus. by Rebecca Bond. 256p. Houghton Harcourt. Jul. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780544332171; ebk. ISBN 9780544553705.
COPY ISBN
Gr 2–5—This story of friendship and teamwork is about a group of barn animals that functions as a close-knit family. This well-paced story told by the animals themselves is marked by a sense of anxiety as they deduce that the farmer is going to burn down the barn for the insurance money. They need to escape, but how can they get out of the locked barn? And where will they go? As the animals plot and plan, readers learn that each creature has a special gift and talent. It will take all of them working together to pull off their escape. Fans of Charlotte's Web and other gentle animal stories will enjoy this charming tale, which includes spot drawings throughout, illustrated by Bond using pen and ink.
VERDICT This sweet story with a serendipitous ending has a comforting, classic feel.
Reviewed by Laura Fields Eason, Parker Bennett Curry Elementary School, Bowling Green, KY
When Burdock the barn cat overhears the farmer's plan to burn down the barn, apparently with the animals in it, the residents of the barn put their heads together and devise an escape plan that uses everyone's skills. This simple tale of teamwork with chatty animal dialogue and crosshatched pencil drawings reads like an homage to Charlotte's Web.
 , Feb 01, 2015

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