Hello, friends! Our book today is Prairie Days, written by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Micha Archer, a sweet summery ode to simple farm life.

A girl reminisces of the place “where I was born”, seeing herself as a elementary aged-child on a pastoral farm on the prairie. She vividly describes moments and scenes of this quiet country home: the scent of cattle and wildflowers as she lies down in a field to ponder the clouds; swimming in underclothes in a cool pond; riding horses and playing with farm dogs; cold bottles of soda from a metal tank; reading under homemade quilts as summer night air breezes through the curtains. It’s a life of simplicity and a fair bit of nostalgia, quiet and cozy and carefree.

Lovely. Told from the point of view of the single protagonist, this remembrance of endless skies and playful summers has a wonderfully soothing quality in both prose and visuals (the timeline is undefined, though machines and a shop’s wares indicate early mid-century). The text is has the rhythm and structure of cowboy poetry, as well as the simple yet ardent language of the same. The mixed-media art is standout, creating sumptuous two-page spreads filled with details, colors, and emotion. It’s a fairly insular look at one person’s childhood memories, yet made grand and sweeping by the illustrations and words. The length was great, and JJ was fascinated with the art. A soothing, sunny read, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)