Synopsis
Here’s a farmyard frolic that will have kids quacking, oinking, and hee-hawing along with a cast of adorable animals. The fun begins when Calf hears Rabbit out in the field mooing—and feels inspired to give a great big BAA. Why? Because he likes the sound! Before long, Lamb, Piglet, Baby Donkey, and all the other creatures on the farm realize they’re not limited to their own language, but can enjoy experimenting with others.
The cute surprise ending shows that Little Rabbit—who started the delightful chorus by thinking outside the box—still plays by his own rules. Thanks to Jonathan Allen’s wonderful illustrations and engaging join-in text, this will become a favorite that kids will read again and again.
Children's Literature
Little rabbit sits in a farmer's field mooing like a cow. A baby calf approaches him, questioning his choice of sound. And so the merry mimickery starts as different baby animals join the group. First, they question why the barnyard babies are making "their" sound instead of their own. Little rabbit and his friends explain why, and the new animals willingly join in the fun. A funny, surprise ending ties the story together. Both children and adult readers appreciate the humor. Each animal sound is bolded and shown in very large print encircled by a speaker's bubble, enabling preschool children and young readers to recognize and words physically and phonetically. The layout encourages children to shout out the animal sound as the story is read orally. With its large size and simple illustrations, this book makes an excellent participatory story for nursery school and day care settings. Reviewer: Gail C. Krause