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Overview
Old Cricket tells his missus why he can't fix the roof — "I woke with a creak in my knee, dear wife."
He tells Cousin Katydid why he can't pick berries — "I woke with a creak in my knee and a crick in my neck."
He tells Uncle Ant why he can't harvest corn — "I woke with a creak in my knee, a crick in my neck, and a crack in my back....I'm off to see Doc Hopper."
But before he gets there, Old Crow comes calling. "Caw-caw-caw," he says, hungrily. And caw is one C-word Old Cricket can't relish.
The creators of Sailor Moo present a second critter comedy, full of wordplay and antic animation.
Old Cricket doesn't feel like helping his wife and neighbors to prepare for winter and so he pretends to have all sorts of ailments that require the doctor's care, but hungry Old Crow has other ideas.
Synopsis
Old Cricket tells his missus why he can't fix the roof — "I woke with a creak in my knee, dear wife."
He tells Cousin Katydid why he can't pick berries — "I woke with a creak in my knee and a crick in my neck."
He tells Uncle Ant why he can't harvest corn — "I woke with a creak in my knee, a crick in my neck, and a crack in my back....I'm off to see Doc Hopper."
But before he gets there, Old Crow comes calling. "Caw-caw-caw," he says, hungrily. And caw is one C-word Old Cricket can't relish.
The creators of Sailor Moo present a second critter comedy, full of wordplay and antic animation.
The New York Times
Think of a cross between Aesop's fable The Grasshopper and the Ant and Steven Spielberg's movie Jurassic Park and you're getting close to the feel of Lisa Wheeler's gently preachy, very cinematic, very scary Old Cricket. — Connie Fletcher
Editorials
The New York Times
Think of a cross between Aesop's fable The Grasshopper and the Ant and Steven Spielberg's movie Jurassic Park and you're getting close to the feel of Lisa Wheeler's gently preachy, very cinematic, very scary Old Cricket. — Connie FletcherPublishers Weekly
To avoid doing housework, Old Cricket feigns a variety of maladies. "Smartly paced and skillfully drawn, this tale delivers a gentle comeuppance sure to please smart young bugs," wrote PW. Ages 3-6. (Aug.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
It's not nice to fool Mother Nature, nor is it wise to fool your wife. Old Cricket doesn't feel like fixing his roof, so he feigns a pain in his knee. Not wanting to deal with a husband in pain, his wife sends him off to see the doctor. On his way, Old Cricket runs into his cousin Katydid and his ant neighbors who ask him to help them with their chores. Adding to his list of ailments with each visit, Old Cricket informs them of the creak in his knee, the crick in his neck and the crack in his back. To outsmart Old Crow, Old Cricket devises a story that his case of hiccups would surely cause gastric distress if he were to become Old Crow's snack. Much like a modern day Aesop's Fable, Old Cricket barely out-foxes the crow, and conveniently ends up at Doc Hopper's door, who fixes each creak, crick, crack and hic. Doc Hopper sends Old Cricket back home to his wife, who is still awaiting a roof repair. The larger-than-bug-life, colorful, detailed illustrations complement this comical story and enhance the laziness of Old Cricket, the hunger of Old Crow and the wisdom of Mrs. Cricket. A quick vocabulary lesson will be in order, as many readers will have no clue what is meant by consarn it, crotchety or cantankerous. An excellent segue into dictionary exercises! 2003, Atheneum Books,— Elizabeth Young