PreSchool-K?Five lively, bouncy, countable frogs dance their special April Showers dance ("We're gonna tip-toe twirl/We're gonna twirl, toe tip!"). Then, a threat appears amidst the colorful flowers: a snake that promptly swallows one of the dancers. The four remaining participants dance on, pummeling the snake in various ways until he gives up his frog dinner. Finally, the "snake" reveals himself as...five frogs in a disguise. Shannon's rhythmic text is well done, with an infectious beat that only occasionally falls flat. Young children will enjoy watching the figure of the snake emerge from the colorful flowers, and will also enjoy the surprise ending. Aruego and Dewey use their characteristic playful style to good effect, with clear, attractive colors and simple, graceful lines. On the whole, though, April Showers will not lend itself to group participation as readily as some of the other books these three have done together (Dance Away [Greenwillow, 1982] for instance); the story is not as strong, the dance itself not easy to join in on. An additional purchase where picture books with seasonal themes are popular.?Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Ages 3^-5. April showers bring May flowers--and dancing frogs. "We do what's right. / We play by the rules. / But when the rain comes, we love to dance like fools!" warn five silly frogs, who leap, twirl, and shimmy through the pages of this lively story. Unfortunately, there isn't much to tie their goofy antics together. Granted, the preschool crowd won't sit still for a lengthy or complicated plot, but this trio's previous collaborations, Lizard's Song (1981) and Dance Away (1982), both offered audiences a short, simple story line. The new effort doesn't quite measure up, but it still has much appeal. Bright, cheerful watercolors splash across the pages, and although they don't make up for the absence of plot, they do make for lots of fun. Lauren Peterson
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