Over in the Grasslands [Hardcover]

Anna Wilson (Author), Alison Bartlett (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

"This cheery counting book features animals of Africa and their babies, including rhinos munching, hippos swimming, bees buzzing, and finally, monkeys sleeping. Follow the whimsical rhymes and vibrant illustrations as young readers count their way from one to ten on a safari-like adventure. Over in the Grasslands is a delightful way to help beginners count while they explore the wildlife of the African plain. A colorful two-page review of the numbers learned, along with drawings of the animals counted, is also included."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wilson's first book smoothly adapts the lively rhythms of the classic childhood song "Over in the Meadow" to the denizens of African plains: "Over in the grasslands/ in the heat of the sun/ Lived an old mother rhino/ and her little rhino one./ 'Munch,' said the mother. 'We munch,' said the one./ So they munched all day/ in the heat of the sun." The following spreads devote similar attention to different animal families of increasing size. The verses wind down with grown-up monkeys "and their little monkeys ten," the latter being put to sleep "in a big warm den." Bartlett's (Oliver's Vegetables) sunny full-page paintings give this straightforward rhyme considerable appeal. Saturated tropical colors light up frontal views of friendly animals, who face the audience almost as if grouped for a family portrait. On verso spreads, the number featured in each verse appears in the top left corner, below which flows a border echoing a motif from the painting paired with it. The hard-to-resist cover illustration, of four tangerine-colored lion cubs snuggling with their mother under a lush orange sky, gives a good indication of the pleasures within. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-An appealing takeoff on "Over in the Meadow," this counting book enumerates 10 cozy mother-and-offspring sets, from rhinos to monkeys. Though the rhymes are sometimes predictable (bees buzz) or slightly strained (rhyming "four" with "roared"), these slight offenses are tamed by the textured vignettes done in energetic colors like tangerine, lemon, and azure. The wavy outlined illustrations, familiar from Bartlett's art in Vivian French's "Oliver" books (Orchard), work well here, presenting fine habitat details. The creatures are droll-mother hare's bewilderment and Ms. Toad's wide grin will easily engage youngsters. The patterned vertical borders on the versos pick up a design element from the facing page and present the Arabic numerals. The book finishes with a double-page spread showing the animals and numbers learned.
Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316939102
• ISBN-13: 978-0316939102
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,667,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What do you seek?, April 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Over in the Grasslands (Hardcover)

While those looking for science book might find this book lacking, those seeking a STORYbook won't be disappointed. I find myself reading it as much for my own enjoyment as for my daughters'. The singsong melody makes for easy reading, and the artwork is a treasure.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Parent and Child, September 24, 2001

By 

William D. Berson (Clinton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Over in the Grasslands (Hardcover)

I am VERY picky about kids books. They have to be educational, entertaining for the child, and fun to read for the parent. There is nothing worse then buying a book that a child never wants to see or having to read a dull one over and over again. This book hits the mark! I enjoy reading it and my son (four years old) almost has the thing memorized. An excellent and timeless choice!

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Delightful. colorful pictures, but with some problems, January 8, 2001

By 

M. Henry "Grandma-ellen" (Bellevue, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Over in the Grasslands (Hardcover)

This is obviously supposed to be sung to the tune of "Over in the Meadow" (It is a not-so-original take-off of that old song.) Unfortunately, the beginning phrase "Over in the grasslands" has the right number of sylables, but causes the tongue to stumble over the next line when singing aloud. Worse, the clever premise of setting the story in Africa, is not very well executed. The toads appear to be frogs on lily pads, the monkeys look like chimps to me, and the eagle looks suspiciously like an American bald eagle. Do warthogs go "Oink"? Just in case you think I am being picky, the above possible errors were pointed out by my 2 and a half year old grandson whose mom just happens to be a biology teacher. While I didn't expect a science book, I do wish a little more care had been given to choosing animals that were exclusively African and protraying them a little more thoughtfully.