Ten in the Meadow

Children's Literature - Phyllis Kennemer

The friends from Ten in the Den are playing a game of hide-and-seek. Bear is It. He first finds Rabbit who then joins in the search, as do the succeeding animals as they are found. Porcupine and Mole are found among the flowers and leaves. Badger and Fox have hidden in a hole in the ground. Eventually the friends think to look up. They spot little paws and bushy tails in a tree. It is Squirrel and Raccoon! Then Beaver is found in the brook. The sun is sinking, but one friend is still missing. Where is Mouse? Astute viewers have spotted Mouse in many of the preceding illustrations observing the hunt behind the other animals' backs. Now he is nowhere to be seen. Then Bear has an idea. The animals return to the den and find Mouse in the middle of a huge, comfy bed, sound asleep. Everyone joins him and soon they are all dreaming about games to play tomorrow. The softly colored illustrations depict charming, cuddly animals (perhaps they are really stuffed animals) playing joyfully together. A cozy book for bedtime reading.

School Library Journal

PreS-The 10 cuddly animal friends from Ten in the Den (Peachtree, 2005) return for a game of hide-and-seek in a bright, lush meadow. Bear is "it" and uncovers his friends hiding, sometimes by twos, under daisies, foxgloves, bluebells, and lilies. All except for Mouse, who has grown tired and is only discovered in the end, fast asleep in his own bed. However, observant children will quickly spy Mouse on many pages, as he appears with each new discovery, though quite unnoticed by the other animals. Butler's soft, wide-eyed animals will appeal to children. The soft purple glow of the waning light as the edges of night creep over the meadow is beautifully depicted. The rhyming text can be sung to the first stanza of the traditional song referred to in the title, but this pattern doesn't continue to the second stanza. Instead, snappy dialogue contributes to the pacing of the story and makes it well suited for reading aloud.-Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.