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  • Published: 2 January 2023
  • ISBN: 9780823444281
  • Imprint: Holiday House
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $40.00

The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer



On a peculiarly long night, three farm animals set off on a daring quest to bring the sunrise.

On a peculiarly long night, three farm animals set off on a daring quest to bring the sunrise.

Fans of Erin and Philip C. Stead’s books will instantly love this quirky barnyard trio’s magical quest to bring the sunrise, in the style of their previous animal books A Sick Day for Amos McGee and Bear Has a Story to Tell.

A mule,
A milk cow,
A miniature horse,
Standing in a barn door,
Waiting for the sun to rise.

As this trio rests in their comfortable barn, a realization slowly dawns on them. . .  the sun is late to rise.

After consulting barn owl (who always knows what to do), they take Rooster and set off on an epic journey further than they’ve ever gone before; through the acre of tall corn, past the sleeping giant, all the way to the edge of the world.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

  • Published: 2 January 2023
  • ISBN: 9780823444281
  • Imprint: Holiday House
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 32
  • RRP: $40.00

Also by Philip C. Stead

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Praise for The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer

Praise for Music for Mister Moon:

"In making amends for a thoughtless act, a shy young cellist finds just the right audience. . . . The illustrations, as spare and harmonious as the prose, are pale constructs of lightly applied pencil over misty ink monoprints . . . A low-key, atmospheric encounter a-glimmer with verbal and visual grace notes."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"a gift for the eyes and a delight for the imagination. Encore, please." —Booklist, Starred Review

"The award-winning Steads who are best known for their Caldecott Medal book A Sick Day for Amos McGee are back with a delightful picture book in their signature style. The soft and dreamlike illustrations done with oil based monoprinting on a sheet of acrylic and are the perfect accompaniment to the simple and thoughtful prose as they work in harmony to bring Harriet’s dream to the pages. A gentle bedtime story that is recommended for all." —School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Caldecott medalist Erin Stead's layers of oil ink and colored pencil weave a translucent moonlit spell around the graphite-sketched characters, including a thick-furred bear in a trapper hat and an upright, pot-bellied walrus. Introverts and dreamers ages four to nine will gravitate to Philip Stead's wistful Mister Moon, who thinks oars moving through the water and buoy bells are music compared to the quiet sky. Subtle and whimsical, Music for Mister Moon celebrates the peace that grows between trusted friends."—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

"Erin Stead's prints, embellished with colored pencil and graphite, use point of view to create perceptual distance while simultaneously establishing a close emotional connection."—The Horn Book

"The fine lines of Erin Stead’s pencil drawings introduce readers to Harriet’s inner life, where the wishes of her parents and the glare of the world can’t intrude. It’s a deep, almost reverent look at how a child can use her imagination to create not just the world she wants, but the world she needs."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Music for Mister Moon:

"In making amends for a thoughtless act, a shy young cellist finds just the right audience. . . . The illustrations, as spare and harmonious as the prose, are pale constructs of lightly applied pencil over misty ink monoprints . . . A low-key, atmospheric encounter a-glimmer with verbal and visual grace notes."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"a gift for the eyes and a delight for the imagination. Encore, please." —Booklist, Starred Review

"The award-winning Steads who are best known for their Caldecott Medal book A Sick Day for Amos McGee are back with a delightful picture book in their signature style. The soft and dreamlike illustrations done with oil based monoprinting on a sheet of acrylic and are the perfect accompaniment to the simple and thoughtful prose as they work in harmony to bring Harriet’s dream to the pages. A gentle bedtime story that is recommended for all." —School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Caldecott medalist Erin Stead's layers of oil ink and colored pencil weave a translucent moonlit spell around the graphite-sketched characters, including a thick-furred bear in a trapper hat and an upright, pot-bellied walrus. Introverts and dreamers ages four to nine will gravitate to Philip Stead's wistful Mister Moon, who thinks oars moving through the water and buoy bells are music compared to the quiet sky. Subtle and whimsical, Music for Mister Moon celebrates the peace that grows between trusted friends."—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

"Erin Stead's prints, embellished with colored pencil and graphite, use point of view to create perceptual distance while simultaneously establishing a close emotional connection."—The Horn Book

"The fine lines of Erin Stead’s pencil drawings introduce readers to Harriet’s inner life, where the wishes of her parents and the glare of the world can’t intrude. It’s a deep, almost reverent look at how a child can use her imagination to create not just the world she wants, but the world she needs."—Publishers Weekly