New Book by the Amos McGee Duo

The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer
Written by Philip C. Stead & Illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Age Level: 2-4 Years
Published November 29, 2022

Couldn’t be less interested in seeing the sunrise.

I love books by husband and wife author-illustrator duo Philip and Erin Stead. They first won me over with their Caldecott Medal-winning storybook A Sick Day for Amos McGee and I’ve been a devotee ever since. I find that January’s chilly, dark winter days are filled with cozy moments, and in those relaxed pockets of time I’ve been curling up with their latest book, The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer.

“There is a silence inside of everything –
inside the damp wood of the barn,
inside the farm tools hanging from the walls,
inside the dark sky overhead.”

The story takes place in the twilight shortly before dawn, those last moments of thick sleep before the sun rises and the day begins. A mule, a milk cow, and a miniature horse are awake, and they believe that the sun is late to rise, and thus so is the farmer. Eager to receive their breakfast, the animals embark on an adventure to find the sun and rouse it so they can begin their day. Soft, soporific prose and gentle, blue tinged illustrations lull readers into a tranquil state. Stead’s repetitive text has the effect of a mantra, and it carries you through to the final page which is awash in a hopeful and uplifting saffron colored dawn.