From Publishers Weekly
Lending itself to a sing-along rather than a read-aloud (the text can be sung to the tune of "Skip to My Lou"), the merriment of this mischievous book is contagious. Barnyard animal sounds punctuate Crebbin's (Into the Castle) catchy text: "Ducks in the dishes, quack, quack, quack [repeat twice]/ That's what we do, Tom Farmer!" After seeing the animals wreaking havoc in the house, readers spy the farmer sleeping in the haystack, who chases the animals out and promptly falls asleep in an armchair. Crebbin's clever pacing comes into play as the prankster animals sneak in with a "shhh, shhh, shhh," and pounce on the innocently dozing fellow. McEwen makes a splash of a debut with her bustling, highly animated, slightly flattened cartoon drawings. High-stepping cows balance bottles on their noses, lick Jell-O and smash dishes; ducks make themselves comfortable in the cupboard, cozying up in a teapot and pilfering sugar cubes; sheep bounce and flop happily on the sofa. The broadly smiling troublemakers are an irresistible crew, ready to ambush unsuspecting readers as well with their rambunctious gaiety. Ages 2-5.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K-Mischief-making barnyard animals and a tired farmer interact in this picture book based on a folk song. The rhythmic verses follow the pattern of "Skip to My Lou": "Cows in the kitchen, moo, moo, moo,/Cows in the kitchen, moo, moo, moo,/Cows in the kitchen, moo, moo, moo./That's what we do, Tom Farmer!" The accompanying two-page spread shows three bovines happily breaking dishes, licking food, and balancing items on their horns. The story continues with "ducks in the dishes," "pigs in the pantry," "hens on the hat stand," and "sheep on the sofa." Finally, the animals wake Tom Farmer from his haystack nap. When he shoos them out into the farmyard, they burst into the house again and make as much trouble as before. The story is slight, but the strong rhythm and repetition are sure to invite participation. Watercolor and pencil illustrations catch the spirit of fun. The stiff flatness of the simply drawn animals and the details of their activities are amusing rather than hilarious. Neither words nor pictures match the cleverness of Nadine Westcott's Skip to My Lou (Joy Street, 1989), Nancy Shaw's Sheep in a Jeep (Houghton, 1986), or Rhonda Gowler Greene's Barnyard Song (Atheneum, 1997), but kids will still enjoy this farmyard fracas.
Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, ORCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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