Old MacDonald [Hardcover]

Amy Schwartz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1999 | Age Level: 3 and up

There's plenty of work to be done on Old MacDonald's farm! Amy Schwartz's sunny, wonderfully detailed barnyard scenes extend the song far beyond its happy lyrics. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Schwartz's (A Teeny Tiny Baby) exuberant interpretation, the old standby song becomes a family affair. The opening spread ("Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!") shows the lay of the farmland, while in the next spread ("And on this farm/ he had a rooster,/ E-I-E-I-O!"), the cock crows, and a little girl rouses the farmer, his wife and baby from bed to start a full day's work. Old MacDonald and his daughter leave mother and baby behind as they tend to the cheeping chicks, the mooing cow and the baaing sheep. At lunchtime, quacking ducks are the backdrop for a family picnic near a pond. Schwartz's boldly hued gouache art in shades of barn-bright red, straw yellow and spring green offers plenty of particulars to keep little ones entertained: the girl chases a duck that has purloined her sandwich, a goat tugs mischievously at MacDonald's coat. A refreshing departure from the traditional lyrics calls for a neighborly gathering at dinnertime; a cozy crowd fills the dining room with "a yakkity yak here and a yakkity yak there," followed by a tune on the fiddle ("with a tra la la here and a tra la la there"). Sparked by familiar refrains, Schwartz's large-scale, cheerfully busy artwork supplies an uplifting story line. An ideal sing-along, whether one-on-one or among friends. Ages 3-6. (May)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2Schwartz integrates the verses of this classic folk song into a coherent narrative complete with folk-art paintings. A rooster (with the help of a smiling little girl) wakes the farmer, his wife, and a baby. In the spreads that follow, the father and daughter do various chores, have a picnic lunch with the rest of the family, greet some visitors, and sit down to dinner. In addition to the traditional animals, Schwartz includes verses with a tractor that goes putt putt and neighbors going yakkity yak. The day ends with everyone dancing to the farmers fiddle music, giving a delightful sense of closure to this illustrated song. Each double-page spread is filled with details that children will enjoy investigating. While there is plenty of action, the colorful pictures never look busy. This version of the song compares favorably with those illustrated by Carol Jones (Houghton, 1989) and Lorinda Bryan Cauley (Putnam, 1989; o.p.). It will be a hit in storytime programs and is also appropriate for one-on-one sharing.Tim Wadham, Dallas Public Library, TX
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1st edition (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590461893
• ISBN-13: 978-0590461894
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,170,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old macdonald, February 16, 2000

By 

Cathy Kramer (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Old MacDonald (Hardcover)

My 20 month old daughter will not put this book down. She wants "e-i-e-i-o" nonstop. The book shows a family that works together and spends pleasant times together. It also shows a baby in bed with its parents and animals nursing, which we enjoyed. Each page has the featured animals doing many things that give the child and parent a lot to discuss. Fantastic!