The Animal Fair - Hardcover

PreSchool-Grade 3-- A short collection of simple poems about animals that could be used with preschoolers or with seven- and eight-year-olds, who are more likely to appreciate the humor and take inspiration from the flow of language for some creative writing of their own. Many of these modern poems were first published in England or Australia, as evidenced by some words unfamiliar to American children (bushrat, dormouse, woolwork, twopence). Jenkin-Pearce's delightful watercolor cartoons, outlined and detailed in sketchy black penline, invigorate the verses. Animated creatures and playful children romp across the pages, their antics adding humor to even gruesome verses: a leopard stalking his prey becomes a child in a leopard suit creeping up on his cat in the bedcovers; a young boy shoots a large, gawky cock sparrow with a rubber-tipped arrow as a duck drops a tomato on his head. Light, fanciful verse in a charming package. --Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.