Review by jvez -- The Barnyard Buddies STOP for Peace

[jvez]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Barnyard Buddies STOP for Peace" by Julie Penshorn.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Barnyard Buddies by Julie Penshorn shows how children’s books cannot only educate a child on an academic level. Children’s books can also be used to teach a child proper values that he can apply in real life.

The Barnyard Buddies features a group of animals caught in a sudden downpour. The horse, King, takes shelter on his own, leaving his friends behind, soaking in the rain. His friends are understandably mad, and a rift in their friendship with King is imminent. However, the good-natured owl, Mrs. McCloud, arrives to solve the issue. How Mrs. McCloud resolves the conflict is something kids should look forward to.

The thing I loved the most about the book is its message. The author is an advocate of the ‘STOP for Peace’ process which teaches children the proper steps of anger management and peacemaking. With the aid of this book, children can be taught early on how to control emotions and also how to voice out their feelings without having to hurt others. Depression is a worldwide issue, and sometimes, this feeling just begins from a simple, pent-up anger or frustration. Training a child to express his emotions, and also how to make amends with people who hurt him or people he has hurt, will be very beneficial to a child’s psychological health.

Apart from its message, I also commend the diversity of the characters in the book. The author didn’t use only one type of animal. Instead, she threw in a mix of species, including a goat, a pig, and a horse. The addition of diversity in children's books can help a child learn to accept differences in people, whether it be differences in race, gender or personality.

I also appreciate the notes provided by the author at the end of the book. The author has left a sort of ‘lesson plan’ on how to effectively teach children anger management. She even listed questions a teacher or a parent can ask a child once they have finished reading The Barnyard Buddies. The author also indicated that older children can read the book to younger children. I think this is a very good idea since both parties, the reader and the listener, will surely gain something positive from the activity.

I don’t think there’s any other score to give this book other than 4 out of 4 stars. The book is packed with meaning and uses language suitable for its target audience. It is also well-written and I didn’t see any grammatical errors. I recommend The Barnyard Buddies to young children, perhaps along the ages 5-6 or younger. Nonetheless, adults can also benefit from learning the ‘STOP for Peace’ process.

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The Barnyard Buddies STOP for Peace
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