"Let's get lost in a book today...and
maybe never come back."
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Title: Farm Flu
Author: Teresa Bateman
Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Ages: 4 and up
Author: Teresa Bateman
Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Ages: 4 and up
Everyone is very aware of the flu concerns that are swirling through the media these days. I found this cute little book that might help ease anxiety regarding the dreaded flu shots. It may calm some fears if the actual event itself should come and invade your home for a while. Hopefully this book will impart useful information to your child and create soothing conversations regarding the flu protocol in your own home.
This is a humorous, silly rhyming story of mounting chaos. A mother leaves her son in charge of the farm one day and many animals come down with the flu. Caring for the sick creatures in the manner that he knows his mother would care for him, the book’s refrain is:” But I knew what my mom would do/if it were me who had the flu.” This gives lots of opportunity to discuss what your mom does for you when you have the flu and how your own personal household will handle the dilemma. The boy puts the cow in bed; complete with tissues and alfalfa tea and he pops the piglets into the tub to give them a belly rub. He even makes popcorn for the sick donkey to ease his pain and suffering.
The pictures are expressive and very hilarious. They truly make the text come alive. The boy discovers that pampering has its limits and he is being taken advantage of so he removes all the toys and the TV, just as his mother would do, resulting in instant wellness and healing in the animals. After all his nurturing and effort the boy himself comes down with the flu and well…read it to see what transpires. It is a great, fun read aloud. Seeing the turkey work the remote control and the chickens sipping juice boxes will bring lots of smiles and giggles to your family. I would recommend you get a copy and add it to your collection.
The pictures are expressive and very hilarious. They truly make the text come alive. The boy discovers that pampering has its limits and he is being taken advantage of so he removes all the toys and the TV, just as his mother would do, resulting in instant wellness and healing in the animals. After all his nurturing and effort the boy himself comes down with the flu and well…read it to see what transpires. It is a great, fun read aloud. Seeing the turkey work the remote control and the chickens sipping juice boxes will bring lots of smiles and giggles to your family. I would recommend you get a copy and add it to your collection.
About the author:
Teresa Bateman was born in Moscow, Idaho, but moved to Washington State when she was three-years-old and that's where she has lived most of her life.
An avid writer and reader, Teresa has been making up stories and poems since she was in grade school. "To me it was as natural as breathing," says Teresa.
In high school Teresa would drive her teachers crazy by 'creatively' completing assignments. She always met the letter of their assignment, if not the spirit. She worked hard to inject some humor into her work, knowing that the teachers would be reading hundreds of papers and wanting her to stand out. It worked.
Teresa took English classes for fun in college and when she applied for a Washington State Teaching credential, the state looked at her transcripts and added an endorsement to teach English through the 12th grade!
Teresa cites her teacher Donnell Hunter at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, as having a big influence on her and her writing. He published a class magazine to which the class submitted their work under pen names. Their grades depended on how many stories were included in the magazine. Teresa submitted under about 15 different pen names--just to be annoying! But she knew her work was being judged on its merits alone. Mr. Hunter encouraged her journal writing and instilled in Teresa good writing habits that she continues to this day.
Teresa served an 18-month mission for her church in Argentina, and taught school for a year in Honduras. She also taught school briefly in St. Mary's, Alaska -- a little bush village with a population of 500 in the winter and 50 in the summer. She currently is the librarian at Brigadoon Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington.
Teresa writes every single day. Without fail. She also works full-time, so that means some days she doesn't write much, but she always writes. When at home, Teresa's special spot for writing has a good view of the lilac bushes outside. The wallpaper on her computer is of a winding path through gentle rolling hills and meadows. She tells herself, when stuck for an idea, that the story lies at the end of that path.
Teresa also writes when she's away from home and she carries a laptop computer with her. On family vacation to the Oregon coast she balances her E-mate on her knees and sits out on the deck as seagulls wheel and cry overhead and the ocean waves pound to the shore at the bottom of the cliff.
Teresa lives in Tacoma, Washington.
About the Illustrator:
Nadine Bernard Westcott has illustrated over 100 books, including I KNOW AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY, PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY, MISS MARY MACK, SILLY MILLY, GOING ON A BOOK HUNT,THE LIBRARY DOORS, UP DOWN AND AROUND, EENSY WEENSY SPIDER, and DO PIRATES TAKE BATHS?. Initially, she designed greeting cards for Hallmark Cards and later, Hartland Cards, a company she and her husband operated in Woodstock, VT. Today, Nadine lives in Nantucket, MA and divides her time between illustrating and designing her own line of fabrics.
Book Review Rating: 8 (Fantastic!)
Read on and read always!
Have an awesome day everyone.
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