Over in the Garden (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Over in the garden in the early morning sun Lived a mother praying mantis and her little mantis one..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

To the familiar tune of "Over in the Meadow," this counting book gets cozy with some ugly bugs. Ward and Spengler (Somewhere in the Ocean) magnify the creepy crawlers, from a slimy, liver-brown "mother snail and her little snails four" to a family of hairy brown spiders that leap toward the foreground through massive stems and leaves: "Over in the garden where the vines and berries mix Lived a little mother spider and her baby spiders six. `Jump!' said the mother. `We jump!' said the six. So they jumped through the garden where the vines and berries mix." Ward provides the song's musical notation and a glossary of larva and arachnids, but her rhymes are pedestrian. Spengler, too, adds extras he playfully hides the numerals in every spread and shows the bugs to come waiting in the wings but the close-ups magnify the creatures to such a degree that they may appear grotesque for some youngsters. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reSchool-Grade 1-This new take on the familiar old counting rhyme features eye-catching garden critters. Bright, bold colors fill each gouache illustration in which giant insects with large, friendly cartoon-style eyes fill each spread. Helmet-shaped ladybugs, fuzzy bees, hairy spiders, a velvety butterfly, armored pill bugs, and five other species mingle with larger-than-life flowers, plant stems, and fruits. Hidden in each picture is a miniature image of the creature that will appear on the following spread and the numeral that indicates the number of creatures on the page. A short appended list of "Fun Facts" includes all of the insects and their families except the spider and the snail. Ward's book compares favorably with other versions of "Over in the Meadow" by John M. Langstaff and Feodor Rojankovsky (Harcourt, 1957), Ezra Jack Keats (Viking, 1999), and Jane Cabrera (Holiday, 2000), and a new version of Olive Wadsworth's original rhyme featuring illustrations by Anna Vojtech (North-South, 2002). While the others feature illustrations that are attractive, engaging, or sweet, those in Garden command attention.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Rising Moon (January 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873587936
• ISBN-13: 978-0873587938
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #296,616 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding on many levels!, February 23, 2004

By	K. Hanneman "KH" (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is truely a charming book. We love it! It is good for children of all ages. When you finish singing the song and enjoying the bright colorful artwork try to find the hidden number on each page. If you master that you can look for the animal featured on the next page. It is hiding somewhere in the garden of the pre-page. Well written, interesting, and appeals to children of many ages. Also features a scientific rundown of various insects in the back and music to sing to. This book has everthing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn to count with creepy crawlers., April 2, 2002

By	Dari B. Wayne (Lawrenceville, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Delightful counting book with in-your-face illustrations are perfect for boys and girls who like creepy, slimy and slithery insects, bugs, snakes and spiders. Words are to the familiar tune of "Over in the Meadow" and are simple enough for this age group (4-7) to learn quickly and join in as your read "Over in the Garden" over and over again. This is the third counting book in the same genre by Jennifer Ward and Kenneth J. Spengler. The original, "Way Out In the Desert" and their most recent, "Somewhere In The Ocean" (personal favorite) are visually fun and young children quickly learn their numbers along with a little bit of nature's information. Young boys will especially love this counting book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In with the bugs, January 9, 2003

By A Customer

My 4-year old son and I love this book. The rhymes are great and there are numerous opportunities for interactive participation from the child. My son likes me to read the first part of the verse and he completes the second part. He also likes to point out the numbers hidden on each page -- even though he has done it countless times. No matter how many times I read this, I never get tired of the crisp and beautiful illustrations. After you have gone through the ten garden creatures there is a very informative glossary of the different creatures in the book. Every time we pick a couple different ones to read about. Without a doubt this will remain one of our favorites.