Herds of Words

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Like the beasts in MacCarthy's Animals Galore! , the happy collection of people, animals and things in this zestful picture book dazzle the eye with brilliant colors. A coven of pink-nosed witches surrounds a bubbling caldron as up above ``a parliament of owls'' hovers near a twinkling ``galaxy of stars.'' A tantalizing series of ``herd words'' is presented in no particular order but is often grouped by activity or design. A ``crew of sailors'' stands at attention on a ``fleet of ships'' as they sail by a plump ``huddle of walruses.'' A coach led by ``a team of horses'' is held up by ``a gang of thieves'' who are routed by ``a posse of constables.'' The ebullience and charm of MacCarthy's batik paintings will make this playful assemblage irresistible. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-- MacCarthy continues the task she began in Animals Galore (Dial, 1989) of naming and illustrating various collective nouns. As in the previous book, vibrant batik paintings show groups of like items in busy, bright double-paged spreads. The groups cited range from the commonplace (``a fleet of ships'') to the exotic (``an ostentation of peacocks'' and ``convocation of eagles''), with the single unifying factor being their plural state. While this is most likely to be enjoyed by individual readers or listeners, creative use could undoubtedly be found in schools and libraries for such an engaging survey of persons, animals, and things. The unique style of painting and the choice of little-used terms make this an unusually attractive addition to the growing body of high quality picture books that celebrate the complexity and charm of the English language. --Lisa Dennis, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh