Knick-Knack Paddywhack

A favorite children's song gets bright new art that captures all its "knick-knack, paddywhack, give a dog a bone" rhythm and rhyme.

Every child loves This Old Man. Every child sings it, at home and at school, and uses it to learn to count to 10. Emily Bolam's lively art will add to kids' pleasure, conveying every drop of the cumulative and entertaining antics. In a unique twist, the pictures show the amusing interaction between a father and son, as the dad drives the child crazy making knick-knack noises as he bangs on a drum, a treehouse, and even the boy's knees. The pictures will have kids laughing, and the familiar words will have them chorusing in joy.

This old man
He plays one...
That makes reading lots of fun...



A favorite children's song gets bright new art that captures all its "knick-knack, paddywhack, give a dog a bone" rhythm and rhyme.


Every child loves This Old Man. Every child sings it, at home and at school, and uses it to learn to count to 10. Emily Bolam's lively art will add to kids' pleasure, conveying every drop of the cumulative and entertaining antics. In a unique twist, the pictures show the amusing interaction between a father and son, as the dad drives the child crazy making knick-knack noises as he bangs on a drum, a treehouse, and even the boy's knees. The pictures will have kids laughing, and the familiar words will have them chorusing in joy.

Publishers Weekly

Emily Bolam takes her accomplished fine black line and boldly-hued paintbrush to another favorite tune, Knick-Knack Paddywhack. In this board book, a boy in a striped red-and-white T-shirt and blue shorts give his Dachshund a bone while a grandfatherly gent bangs a drum for "one" (a thickly painted numeral appears alongside each verse) and later plays knick-knack on the boy's treehouse door for "four." Bolam's framed full-page paintings exude energy. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Harriet Ziefert has been making magic with words for many years. She is the author of over 200 books for young readers. A mother of two and grandmother of five, she lives in South Orange, New Jersey.

Liz Murphy was born and raised in England and attended the Kingston Art College, where she majored in graphic design. She currently lives with her husband and two sons in Montclair, New Jersey. Liz has illustrated four other picture books for Blue Apple.