Sophie Blackall

I began this post to highlight a new favorite children's book, Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall. Turns out Blackall is also the author of two of my other favorites, If You Come to Earth and Hello Lighthouse. Hello Lighthouse was a staple in my reading rotation while my twin daughters were in the NICU because reading it aloud kept their pulse rates within the acceptable range!

But back to Farmhouse, it features a simple but meaningful story and beautiful illustrations. It is the type of book you want to cut and frame pages out of to hang on nursery walls. And it also introduces a fun art activity. In the story, the children "carved potatoes and dipped them in paint to pattern the walls with flowers and leaves." And while I do not want my children painting the walls, potato stamping on paper sounds like a blast.

Blackall has a pattern of releasing a book every 2 years and I am already looking forward to what treat she has in store for us in 2024!