The Animal Hedge [Paperback]

The versatile Fleischman presents a delightful tale of following one’s dreams. . . . Joyous, peaceful, and lovely. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

No one loves animals more than the farmer. But when a drought befalls the land, and he must sell his livestock and move to a cottage with only a hedge around it, he and his three sons discover something remarkable about their hedge — and something unique about each person who trims its branches. A testament to vision, passion, and destiny, matched by Bagram Ibatoulline’s virtuoso paintings.Bagram Ibatoulline was born in Russia, graduated from the State Academic Institute of Arts in Moscow, and has worked in the fields of fine arts, graphic arts, mural design, and textile design. He has illustrated CROSSING by Philip Booth, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, and THE NIGHTINGALE by Hans Christian Andersen as retold by Stephen Mitchell. He says, "As I was working on THE ANIMAL HEDGE, I was most influenced by eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American folk art. I appreciate the naiveté of those untrained painters."  CN