|reviewer=Jill Murphy
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If you're looking for the perfect bedtime story to share with little ones, ''The Farm Shop'' would make a fabulous choice. It tells a sweet and simple story with some gentle messaging about good manners and kindness and encourages good literacy skills through humour.|rating=4|buy=Yes|borrow=Yes
|pages=51
|publisher=Suteki Creative
|aznus=194812467X
}}
WeKirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It'll soon s a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping. What will they buy? I loved the messaging in this sweet little story. Kirelle is such a polite child, waiting her turn in the queue and saying her pleases and her thank yous. But she's also kind and unselfish. Her purchases are all gifts for other people and, when Sam worries that she won't have anything for herself, she says that yes, she will: memories of a review lovely day. That happiness and joy are found as much in experiences as they are in possessions is an important life lesson. Here, it's told in a gentle way, not at all preachy but just naturally - it's obvious when you think about it. But ''The Farm Shop'' isn't simply a homily. Lots of this fun can be had with a child's first introduction to puns - the sheep say ''baa'' and their stalls sell chocolate ''baas''; the ducks say ''quack'' and their stalls sell cheese ''quackers''; the cows say ''moo'' and their stall sells ''moovies''. It's daft and funny and it encourages a love of language and the ability to play with it. The text is accessible and rhythmic and easy to read aloud, with just the right amount of vocabulary-stretching - there's a plump of ducks and a hill that is steep. Ema Tepic's illustrations are gentle and muted in colours that make a perfect bedtime book. There's plenty of detail on each page - lovely pink roses, the kink in Sam's tail, a cockerel supervising proceedings - to look at after reading is finished. If you're looking for the perfect bedtime story to share with little ones, ''The Farm Shop'' would make a fabulous choice. It tells a sweet and simple story with some gentle messaging about good manners and kindness and encourages good literacy skills through humour. It's the perfect winding down after a busy day. If your little one likes stories about farm animals, you could also try [[Donkey's Busy Day by Natalie Russell]] or [[Ping Pong Pig by Caroline Jayne Church]].
You can read more about Devon Avery [[:Category:Devon Avery|here]].
