Marla Frazee
The Farmer and the Clown
A wordless book in which a farmer rescues a baby clown who has bounced off the circus train...
978-1-4424-9744-3 | Beach Lane Books, Simon & Schuster
Part One of The Farmer Books
“A Love Story in Three Parts”
Awards
- Starred Reviews in School Library Journal, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, Children’s Bookshelf, and Bulletin
- 2015 Boston Globe – Horn Book Picture Book Award
- A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year 2014
- A Kirkus Best Children’s Book of of the Year 2014
- A New York Times Book Review “Notable Book of 2014”
- An NPR Favorite Book of 2014
- Fall 2014 Kid’s Indie Next List
- A 2014 Junior Library Guild Selection
- Horn Book Fanfare Book 2014
- A Boston Globe Best Picture Book of 2014
- A Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2014
- A Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book for 2014
- Huffington Post’s “Best Friendship” Book for 2014
- USA illustration nominee for the IBBY Honour List
- 2015 Golden Kite Honor for Picture Book Illustration
- National Cartoonist Society 2015 “Silver Reuben” Award Nominee for Book Illustration
- NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children Honor Book
- Southern California Independent Booksellers Association 2015 Children’s Picture Book Award
- An ALA Notable Book
- A CCBC Choice Award
- A Bank Street Best Book of 2015
- USA Illustration choice for the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) 2016
- Georgia Book Award Nominee
Reviews
School Library Journal ★
“... a tender look at light and shadow, the joy and comfort in companionship, the lift that laughter provides, and the friendship possible among generations (and species). Lovely.”
Kirkus ★
“Frazee—a virtuoso of mood and line—takes the surly farmer through bafflement, contemplativeness and true affection. The beauty of an unexpected visit, done beautifully.”
Publishers Weekly ★
“A gorgeously executed account of the power of companionship and compassion.”
Horn Book ★
“Appearances can be deceiving in this superb wordless book...”
Children’s Bookshelf ★
“In this wordless masterpiece, Marla Frazee depicts a life-altering meeting between a farmer and a clown... Frazee takes us on an emotional journey that neither farmer, nor clown—nor reader—will ever forget.”
Bulletin ★
“Frazee imbues her simple story with the immediacy and pathos of a short silent film...”
New York Times Book Review
“Frazee’s perfect pacing of images and use of negative space, light and shadow is true poetry.”
Washington Post
“Joyful, tender and triumphant, without a word spoken, this is storytelling at its finest.”
More!
- Marla Frazee Talks with Roger
- Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
- Wordless Book Picture Book Panel at Politics & Prose Bookstore
