Hi Friends,
Don’t you love this time of year? Everything is so fresh and green. My daily drive takes me through the countryside and I’ve been watching the hay grow, and grow, and grow!
Today I’m joining Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Friday to share a perfect book that’s all about hay!
Title: Hey, Hey, Hay! A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them
Written by: Christy Mihaly
Illustrated by: Joe Cepeda
Published by: Holiday House, 2018 picture book
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: Farming, Harvesting, Farm Equipment
Opening lines:
On a cold and wintry day,
I love to break out bales of hay.
The hay smells fresh, like summer sun.
I feed my horses, one by one.
Listen, and I’ll tell the tale
Of storing summer in a bale.
Brief Synopsis: Written in perfect rhyme, this book follows a girl and her mother as they harvest the fresh hay that they’ve grown. Their tractor takes center stage with different attachments that mow, fluff, rake, and bale the hay.
Why I like this book: Hay is such an important crop but so few people know much about it. Also, farm equipment is fascinating! Hey, Hey, Hay! is a celebration of the process of harvesting hay written that is charming and fun. The illustrations are beautiful!
I just had to add a photo of Thomas hanging out on the bales of hay:
Resources: Includes a glossary of haymaking words and a recipe for making “switchel” which is a traditional drink made for thirsty workers at haying time.
Check out this Farm Girl Video –
I love this theme. And I think that every child would find fascinating, if not the process, at least the machines and the bales.
There’s something really intriguing about farm equipment. I saw an amazing vehicle today that helps harvest blueberries.
Good review of my author friend’s book!
Hi Tina,
I had so much fun taking pictures of Hey, Hey, Hay on a bale of hay!
This is such a fun read-aloud, and the illustrations are wonderful!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. This is a book that is fun for many reasons.