Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny story offers gentle lessons about organic farming.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Old MacDonald lives in a city and has a big lawn in his backyard that he's tired of having to mow all the time, so he gets a goat, but the goat only eats his hedges. Then he engages the Little Red Hen (finding her after an Internet search of "Hens in Your Area"), who, it turns out, knows everything about creating a sustainable urban garden, starting with getting a horse to make manure and worms to make the compost "sweet." She manages the planting of vegetables and calms down the neighbors who protest the noise and smells -- and ends up selling them eggs, honey, veggies, and tubers from Old MacDonald's "Homemade Farm."
Is It Any Good?
This is a fun and funny story told in clever verse and bright, humorous illustrations by Matthew Myers that show the frustrated, clueless farmer being bossed around by a smart chicken in a hard hat. There's lots to look at -- and laugh at -- on each colorful spread, and kids will get a gentle lesson in organic farming, composting, and community building.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about growing vegetables. Did you know you can do it in the city? How is a city farm different from one in the country?
How is this book different from the song about Old MacDonald or the classic story of the Little Red Hen?
Try growing vegetables or flowers from seeds in your own backyard.
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Matthew Myers
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick Press
- Publication date : February 25, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 48
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate