From Publishers Weekly
Hillenbrand (Counting Crocodiles) gives a new angle to a favorite farmyard folk song in this jaunty adaptation. The cumulative lyrics begin, "I had a cat. My cat pleased me. I fed my cat under yonder tree. My cat plays fiddle-i-fee." Subsequent verses feature a duck, goose, hen, pig, cow and so on, introducing the various barn-dwellers and the musical sounds each can play. But as the animals prepare for a jam session, a human family (an obviously pregnant young woman and hard-working young farmer) prepare for another special event: the arrival of their baby. Hillenbrand's mixed-media illustrations depict a warm, bucolic life as it changes month to month and season to season. Scenes of scampering animals and the busy couple (shown knitting, quilting, chopping wood, etc.) employ a wide array of tones, from bold and crisp to soft and smoky. Most spreads contain hints of what comes next in the song and in the chain of events creating a pleasant guessing game for young readers. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. "I had a cat, and the cat pleased me. I fed my cat under yonder tree . . . " begins the familiar, cumulative folk song, presented here as a festive picture book. The farmer and his wife are preparing for their new baby's arrival--as are the barnyard animals. As the stanzas and time progress, other musicians join the fiddling feline: an oboe-playing duck ("quaa quaa"), a washboard-playing hen, a banjo-strumming cow, and more. When baby finally arrives, the barnyard band plays a musical welcome. Music and lyrics are included, but the picture story works nicely on its own, providing many opportunities for audience participation. The cheery, fine-lined mixed-media paintings, in predominantly pastel colors are also fun; some provide clues about which animal will next be joining the musical fray.
Shelle RosenfeldCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
