Overview
A bird can fly.So can I.
A cow can moo.
I can, too.
So begins the simple, delightful rhyme by Ruth Krauss that both celebrates and encourages a child’s imagination. Mary Blair’s vibrant artwork, found in the Golden Books archives and newly scanned, looks as fresh as it did 50 years ago.
A little girl at play can fly like a bird, moo like a cow, and squirm like a worm.
Synopsis
A little girl's active imagination leads her to moo like a cow, squirm like a worm, grab like a crab and mimic a variety of other creatures. Bright, colorful illustrations and whimsical text help young readers learn about animals.
Publishers Weekly
I Can Fly by Ruth Krauss, illus. by Mary Blair, first published in 1951, features another solitary child in imaginary play, but the tone here is sillier. A rhyming text boasts that the girl can do anything that a variety of animals can do; for example, as she eats celery: "Crunch crunch crunch/ I'm a goat out to lunch." The artwork contrasts her antics with the animals she imitates in flatly patterned, stylized shapes that owe much to 1950s-era animation. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
I Can Fly by Ruth Krauss, illus. by Mary Blair, first published in 1951, features another solitary child in imaginary play, but the tone here is sillier. A rhyming text boasts that the girl can do anything that a variety of animals can do; for example, as she eats celery: "Crunch crunch crunch/ I'm a goat out to lunch." The artwork contrasts her antics with the animals she imitates in flatly patterned, stylized shapes that owe much to 1950s-era animation. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
A classic Golden Book from the Bank Street Collection, first published in 1951, is back, in a slightly oversize format to delight young readers with its view of all the things a little girl can do just like animals. A cow can moo. "I can too. I can squirm/like a worm. I can grab/like a crab." The cheerful paintings reflect the decade or their origin with smiling animals, fanciful backgrounds, patterned wallpaper, a girl in a series of dresses, and stylized flora. Snappy, patterned text invites young listeners to chime in and no doubt some families will chant such couplets as "Pitter pitter pat/I can walk like a cat" as they sneak up to bed so as not to wake the baby. The lame ending, "Gubble gubble gubble/I'm a mubble in a pubble/I can play/I'm anything that's anything./ That's MY way," is a letdown after the charming text, but children may appreciate the silliness over the stodgy text and the stumbling and flopping rhythm. 2003 (orig. 1951), Golden Books, Ages 2 to 5.— Susan Hepler, Ph.D.