[Monday Reading] A Series Of Wordless Tales Featuring Unlikely Friendships

Myra here.

It’s Monday, What are You Reading is a meme hosted by Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers (new host of Monday reading: Kathryn T at Book Date). 

Our July – September 2021 reading theme:

Binge-Read: Book Series Marathon

We are on the look-out for books that fit the following deliberately-nebulous criteria:

1. Books that are part of an ongoing series
2. Themed stories: books that are technically not part of a series, but fit a specific theme – e.g. intergenerational stories, nature-themed stories
3. Short story collections
4. Narratives of a similar genre 
5. Stories written by same author

The Farmer And The Clown (Book 1) [Amazon | Book Depository]

Written and Illustrated by Marla Frazee
Published by Beach Lane Books (2014)
ISBN: 9781442497443 (ISBN10: 1442497440). Literary Awards: Keystone to Reading Book Award Nominee, Primary (2016), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Picture Book (2015),NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor Book (2015). Borrowed from Maktaba Overdrive. Book photos taken by me.

The Farmer And The Monkey (Book 2) [Amazon | Book Depository]

Written and Illustrated by Marla Frazee
Published by Beach Lane Books (2020)
ISBN: 9781534446199 (ISBN10: 1534446192). Borrowed from Overdrive. Book photos taken by me.

The Farmer And The Circus (Book 3) [Amazon | Book Depository]

Written and Illustrated by Marla Frazee
Published by Beach Lane Books (2021)
ISBN: 9781534446212 (ISBN10: 1534446214). Borrowed from Overdrive. Book photos taken by me.

I recall reading the first book in the The Farmer series when it first came out in 2014 and being smitten by the unlikely friendship between the reclusive old man and the white-faced baby clown accidentally thrown off a circus cart while in-between places.

I see now that it took Marla Frazee a good six years before following it through with the The Farmer And The Monkey which was cleverly alluded to towards the end of the first book. Whereas the baby clown’s falling off was happenstance, the monkey’s deliberately being left behind was … more premeditated, assuming that monkeys can do premeditation.

It is evident that the old man was somewhat dejected being left behind by the charming baby clown; and the red-crowned-monkey was an unruly, downright-more-mischievous, quite unexpected and slightly-unwelcome substitute. But as per usual, what goes around comes right back again (monkey in tow), and the farmer was once more left on his own until the circus comes back again in The Farmer And The Circus – and what a glorious reunion it was.

There is tenderness, warmth, and gentleness that exudes from the pages of this Farmer series. They are quiet comfort visual reads that would be the perfect gift for the young people in your lives.