Bibi and the Bull

Brenda Baltensperger is a playwright, a director of children’s
theatre, an editor of children’s fiction, and the author of Fractured
Fairy-tales.

When Bibi goes to stay at her grandfather’s farm, she finds out what a
dangerous place it can be. Grandpa shows her the tractor and tells her
not to go near it because she might get hurt. He shows her the busy road
frequented by big trucks, the pig-pen, the chicken house (“Don’t
open the door because the chickens will fly out,” he tells her), and
the barn with a hayloft she could fall out of. Finally, Bibi is shown
the bull pen and warned that the bull is big and mean. One day the bull
escapes and has a face-to-face confrontation with Bibi, who makes so
much noise that she scares him back into his pen.

Although this book is an excellent way to teach children about the
hazards of farm life, the persistent stream of “don’ts” should
have been accompanied by a comparable stream of “dos”: do help to
weed the vegetable patch; do help Grandma in the kitchen, etc. The
positive side of rural life is ignored.

Georgia Graham’s illustrations are sunny and realistic. The language
is challenging for beginning readers but stimulating for children adept
at independent reading. Recommended with reservations.