Cock-a-doodle-doo, Creak, Pop-pop, Moo

February 15, 2012
What can you hear on a farm? The titular "cock-a-doodle-doo, creak, pop-pop, and moo," just to start. Crisp, clear lines rich in onomatopoeia describe a day from morning to night in this nostalgic paean to life on a farm, while stylized, retro watercolors provide a humorous look at the farm's residents, both animal and human. From start ("Rooster crows, / Cock-a-doodle-doo. / Wake up, girls, / And little boys, too") to finish ("Owl calls out / Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo. / Goodnight, boys, / And little girls, too"), this agreeable selection delivers the sounds, look and atmosphere of an old-time farm. Young children will enjoy the strong rhymes and catchy beat, which beckon them to join in, and appreciate the introduction to some of the specifics of the world of a farm, including cooking, chores and the rhythm of nature. Sneed's characters, both animal and human, and backgrounds are rendered with curving, sometimes off-kilter lines, constantly evoking motion and complementing the rhythmic text. In composition and perspective, they echo the heroic murals of the Works Progress Administration. He fills the pages with details (a swallow feeds its babies at its nest under the eaves) and humor (a pig squints lazily up from its bed in the mud). A snapshot of country life full of sounds and sentiment. (Picture book. 2-5)

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May 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 1-"Rooster crows, /Cock-a-doodle-doo" and "Ham pop-pops/In the frying pan" to waken this jovial farm family as the various members launch into a rhythmic romp through a typically busy day. Short, simple sentences full of onomatopoeia describe cows mooing in the milking shed, hens clucking as they are fed, and Papa shoeing the mare, "tap, tap, tap." Sneed uses soft lines and watercolor paintings that are full of realistic detail, evoking the feel of traditional farms from a bygone era. The realistic and larger-than-life characters are as joyful and bouncy as Aylesworth's singsong text. By the end, readers will practically hear the crickets chirping in the night air as the rocking chairs creak on the porch. Listeners will enjoy this energetic celebration of rural family life, which is perfect for any farm-themed storyhour.-Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2012
Preschool-G A simple, rhyming text and energetic watercolors celebrate old-time farm life. The lilting rhymes, in brief couplets ( Cows all moo / In the milking shed. / Cluck cluck cluck. / Hens are being fed ), all focus on sounds, which adds another thematic thread. From the yip of a puppy, to the buzz of bees, to the creak of old stairs, young listeners will want to chime in and can begin here to learn what various sounds look like in printed form. The pale, sunny, physically exaggerated illustrations portray all the members of a large family (Gramma, a mother, a father, three brothers, and three sisters) going about their full days caring for animals, cooking, harvesting, and more. This farm clearly isn't a modern one; water is still hand pumped, and in the evening the kids play jacks or cards or read (there is nary a touch screen to be found). A charming portrayal of rural days gone by.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
"Old stairs creak. / Come fast as you can. / Ham pop-pops / In the frying pan." Onomatopoeia-flecked rhymes describe a typical day with a farm family that suggests the Brady Bunch in the Waltons' time (and clothing). The rhymes have the easy gait of a country song, and the American regionaliststyle watercolor paintings invest the characters with simple-folk dignity.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)