Monday, December 2, 2019

About the Book

Book: The Barn Quilt

Author: Patti Michels

Genre: Children’s Book

Release Date: November 19, 2019

Farmer Max and Miz Patti have a big red barn on their Maple Shade Farm, but one thing is missing—they need a barn quilt. But what pattern should they hang on the side of their barn? The pineapple quilt, or the corn and beans quilt, or what about a quilt with animals on it? None of them are quite right though. Since it’s Christmas, they wonder what barn quilt would have been just right for the stable where Jesus was born. Work along with their neighbor boy, Dennis, as he helps Farmer Max and Miz Patti decide on and make the perfect barn quilt.

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About the Author

Patti Michels has lived in the same rural midwestern county her entire life, thirty-nine of those with her husband. She loves designing her family’s Christmas card and working with senior citizens. At the end of a long day, she enjoys returning to the farm and looking out her kitchen window at her own barn quilt.

More from Patti

Believe it or not, the idea for this children’s book started out as a Christmas card. Each year the Michels family produces their own original Christmas card. This tradition started out simple, in the early 1980’s, as the Michels’ two small daughters helped with the coloring, cutting, and gluing!

Patti Michels and Max, her farmer husband of 39 years, live on a small farm in Southern Illinois. The girls have grown and moved on, and the empty-nesters have joined others in their small farm community, in creating a barn quilt to hang on their barn.

While Max was preparing the 36″ X 36″ wood panel for Patti to paint, Patti was drawing and designing and dreaming up the best barn quilt pattern to display on the barn at Maple Shade Farm. As Patti painted their special barn quilt, a Christmas card idea popped into her head. “What if the stable where Jesus was born had a barn quilt?”

Patti feels like ideas are a gift from God, as is her husband, who helps her pull off one after another completed “project”. Whether it’s feeding cows, baling hay, making Christmas cards, or creating a barn quilt, they continue to work side by side. This book, based on the real life story of creating the barn quilt, gives kids a glimpse into a small farm family life, while also enjoying and celebrating those things that make Christmas so special, like hot chocolate, cookies and God’s love.

This is a wonderful book for young children that love stories about animals, farms and family. The book is short, but doesn't lack for beautiful dialogue and gorgeous illustrations. The story centers around a young boy named Dennis. He loves going to his neighbors farm and helping out. I loved how curious he was about all the animals and the chores that were involved in taking care of a farm.

I love quilts and this book has such great descriptions of different designs that are used. Dennis helps Farmer Max and Miz Patti design the perfect barn quilt. I couldn't wait to find what they were going to design. I am sure children would be excited about this story anticipating what barn quilt was decided on. It does touch on Christmas in a way that is perfect for young children to understand what the true meaning of Christmas is. This would make a great present for a young child or perhaps a story for the whole family to read together during the holidays.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.