My Son John

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

As in his The Cat & the Fiddle & More , rhyme-slinger Aylesworth enjoyably extends a traditional verse to picture-book length. An idealized day in a farm setting begins with ``Yellow yellow sunup, / My son Ed. / Up he jumps / From out of bed.'' Chores and lessons follow: ``Bonny bonny bridle, / My daughter Rose. / Combs her mare / In old work clothes.'' After dinner, the original rhyme winds up the festivities, with John in bed, ``one shoe off and one shoe on.'' The illustrations similarly spring from the traditional; Frampton ( Whaling Days ) has extended them, too, using vivid oil paints instead of black ink to print both his woodcuts of 14 busy children and the bouncy verses on facing pages. Life on the farm, with every family member cheerfully pitching in, may not be like this anymore (if it ever was), but the musical rhymes and vibrant colors are great fun. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)

Children's Literature - Susie Wilde

Aylesworth expands and extends the old rhyme My Son John coming up with fourteen new verses and characters who playfully interact throughout a farm day. There's daughter Rose who "combs her mare in old work clothes" and son Jake who "spreads sweet butter on his pancake." Aylesworth's own sense of play is evident in his choices of exciting words and sounds that will please new babies while creating a book that can grow with a child all the way through preschool and just might inspire you to make up a rhyme for you special child.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-From the very first ``Yellow, yellow sunup,/My son Ed,/Up he jumps/From out of bed,'' to the last familiar ``Diddle diddle dumpling,'' this book is a feast for the eyes and ears. Aylesworth amplifies the simple nursery classic with a rainbow of rich, descriptive verses on additional names, evoking all of the five senses in the process. The rhymes are enhanced by an exceptional layout using brilliant woodcuts done with brightly colored oils. Each double-page spread features a full-page illustration on the left, with the rhyme facing it. A cast of multicultural children is shown joyfully carrying out various farm chores throughout the day. The singsong rhythm should have the same immediate appeal to children as Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault's Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (S.&S., 1989), Bill Martin Jr.'s Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1983), and Aylesworth's Old Black Fly (1992, both Holt). It will be a hit in story time, and could also serve as a creative writing stimulus to children making up similar rhymes to fit their own names. Beautifully integrated in text and design, this is a book to savor and enjoy again and again.-Judy Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA