The Animal Hedge by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline is a delightful fairy tale about a poor farmer and his three sons. The writing is solid, the story is interesting and pleasing, and the illustration is enchanting. I am shocked that it did not at least get a Caldecott honor (but that may be because it was previously published with a different illustrator)! You can see what did win and get honored in 1997 instead at the Biblioguides Caldecott resource, here.

“There once lived a farmer whose heart glowed like a hot wood stove with the love of animals. His greatest joy was to watch chicks become chickens. And piglets become pigs. And calves become cows. 

The farmer lived with his three sons. All day long they toiled on the farm, singing while they worked.”

But, one year, the rains did not come and the farmer lost his farm. He and his sons moved to a cottage where they made a meager living by sharpening shears. 

“One day the farmer happened to notice that the hedge needed trimming. He sharpened his shears and was about to begin, when suddenly he stopped and stared. Part of the hedge seemed to resemble a cow. The farmer stood back and looked again. To the left, he thought he glimpsed a rooster. To the right, he saw a cluster of sheep.”

The farmer went to work using his shears to free the animals from the hedge and once again, the farmer sang as he worked. 

When the time came for his first son to leave home and go out in the world, his son asked what he should do. The farmer thought and decided to let the shears give the answer. Day by day they watched the hedge as it grew, waiting for the answer.

“Then one morning, he glanced at it – and ran for the shears.” 

When the farmer was through trimming, it was a fine carriage and team of horses. And the son rejoiced in the answer since he had always wanted to be a coachman. 

The farmer repeated this with each of his other sons, and never did the hedge fail to give the best answer. And, one by one, the boys left home. 

Then, the farmer was lonely. And so, he trimmed the hedge into animals again. Until one day, the boys returned home with a special gift for their father. 

This story is truly excellent. I will enjoy re-reading this over the years and cannot wait to put it in the hands of many little patrons.