Raising Yoder's Barn facts for kids

Raising Yoder's Barn is a special children's book from 1998. It was written by Jane Yolen and has beautiful pictures by Bernie Fuchs. The story is all about a traditional Amish "barn raising" and shows how important community is to the Amish people.

The Story of Raising Yoder's Barn

The book tells its story through the eyes of an eight-year-old boy named Matthew Yoder. Matthew lives on a farm in Pennsylvania and loves his life there. He feels very proud to work in the fields with his father and older brothers.

One day, a big lightning storm hits their farm. It causes a fire that destroys the Yoder family's barn. The whole community quickly comes together to help put out the fire.

After the fire, the Yoders decide to build a new barn. This is where a "barn raising" comes in! A barn raising is a special event where many people from the community work together to build a new barn in just one day. The women bring lots of food, and the men work hard to build the big structure.

Matthew worries that he is too young to help with such a big job. But Samuel Stulzfoot, who is organizing the barn raising, gives Matthew a very important role. Matthew becomes Samuel's "voice," carrying instructions to all the other workers. This makes Matthew feel very helpful and important.

After a long day of hard work, the new barn is finally finished! The Yoder family thanks God for their new barn and asks for a good harvest season. The next season is indeed very successful, and Matthew looks forward to helping his family on the farm again.

The Art in the Book

The pictures in Raising Yoder's Barn are very unique. They were created by Bernie Fuchs and are actually prints of his oil paintings. The colors used in the book are soft and warm. You will see a lot of muted reds, yellows, browns, and tans throughout the illustrations.