After the barn and windmill burn on an Amish family's farm, Samuel Stulzfoot is summoned with plans for a new barn, and a strong community allegiance is shown in how quickly the neighbors respond in the aftermath of the destruction. Full-color illustrations. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Work of the hands, faith and community spirit are constants that eight-year-old Matthew has always known growing up on a Pennsylvania Amish farm. These things make all the difference when lightning burns his family's barn to the ground. When a barn-raising is organized, he despairs of being thought too young to help despite his father's praise for his work skills; eventually, the organizer, Samuel Stulzfoot, gives Matthew a special and important task. Yolen (The Girl in the Golden Bower) uses atmospheric metaphors--blisters are compared to "the barley in Mama's soup" and the barn grows "like a giant flower in the field." Her vision of the Amish seems rose-colored--not even the fire disturbs the underlying calm--but both the fire and the one-day barn-raising carry palpable excitement. In Fuchs's (Ragtime Tumpie) similarly idealized oil paintings, the Amish characters, clad in their traditional garb, move against radiant, broadly brushed pastoral settings. The new barn glows golden in the light of the new moon; the jars of preserves on the kitchen counter gleam as the sun pours in. The mood, never broken, is the real star of the book. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

K-Gr 3-Time-honored traditions of interdependence and cooperation are celebrated in a heartwarming story of an Amish barn raising. Matthew Yoder relates the events of his eighth summer when a fire consumes his family's barn. Four days later, neighbors rally to have a "frolic" and build a new one; however, the boy is concerned there will not be a task for him to perform. When expert builder Samuel Stultzfoot tells the child he's needed to relay instructions to the men, he is honored to be assigned such an important role. At the end of the day, the family gives thanks for their good neighbors and the barn. Matthew's "Amen" is a mere whisper but his satisfaction in a job well done speaks volumes. Luminous, impressionistic-style oil paintings reveal images of Amish life: the horse-drawn buggies, the unadorned clothing, the camaraderie and industriousness of the people. Direct and reflected light warm the full-page illustrations with gold, copper, and brown hues. Poetic language and stunning artwork pay tribute to a close-knit lifestyle and a commitment to family and community.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WICopyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Ages 6-8. On a Monday in July, lightning strikes Matthew Yoder's family's barn, and on Friday his entire Amish community gathers to raise a new one, for "barns come first on a proper Amish farm, even before the house." In language that is supple and graceful, Yolen's text first follows Matthew as he begins to take his place in working the farm with his father and brothers; then lightning "like a stooping hawk" strikes the windmill that powers their machinery. The alarm is sounded, and all come to help, but the barn burns to the ground. Samuel Stulzfoot designs barns, and when the men come to raise a new barn, and the women come to feed them, Matthew is given the task of carrying Stulzfoot's instructions to the workers. Fuchs' full-page paintings, which face each page of text, make the plain clothing, broad faces, and sunlit fields glow with sumptuous light. The edges of fruit jars, horses' rumps, and barn framing are honeyed and silvered, making Amish bounty beautiful indeed. As in Yolen's recent House, House , the meaning of home and community underlies the text. What the Amish believe is never made explicit, but their values are limpidly clear. A fine story, finely limned and told, with much to teach. (Reviewed September 15, 1998)0316968870GraceAnne A. DeCandido*** From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.