by Wendy Cheyette Lewison, illustrated by Pam Paparone (Viking, 2004)
A jaunty walk in the rain for a little girl and her perky dog is an opportunity to count from one to 10, and back again, with little raindrops, bare toes and finally the sun. Lively illustrations of spring, rain, earthworms and flowers adorn this refreshing counting book that has ‘spring’ written all over it. Even her grass green rain boots are smiling!
The Wolf’s Chicken Stew
by Keiko Kasza
(Putnam, 1987)
A wolf with a discerning palate makes a charming villain in
this tasty adventure of predator, prey and yummy food. Mr. Wolf
decides to fatten up Mrs. Chicken for a hearty stew, so he bakes
up batches of pancakes, doughnuts and a cake in his
carbohydrate-laden plot. But when he drops in on a still svelte
Mrs. Chicken (by poultry standards, anyway) and realizes she has
100 chicks who cover him with 100 kisses, “Uncle Wolf”
becomes a vegetarian and makes the little critters, you guessed
it, 100 scrumptious cookies. The predictable text with folk tale
elements will become an instant favorite.
Tikki Tikki Tembo
retold by Arlene Mosel, illustrated by Blair Lent
(Holt, 1968)
Alas, Tikki Tikki Tembo-No Sa Rembo-Chari Bari Ruchi-Pip
Peri Pembo may be his mother’s first and most beloved son,
but it is good old Chang, his monosyllabic brother, who saves the
day. Stuck in the bottom of the decrepit well, Tikki’s great
long name just about drowns him by the time the Old Man with the
Ladder comes to the rescue. Everyone learns a practical lesson in
this timeless folktale. Children who can’t remember where
their bikes, shoes, book bags or jackets are will chant
“Tikki Tikki Tembo-No Sa Rembo- Chari Bari Ruchi- Pip Peri
Pembo” for years to come.
April 2006
Copyright 1998-2007 GreatSchools Inc.
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