I Knew Two Who Said Moo: A Counting and Rhyming Book

"I found only one
weighing a ton
who had just begun
lying in the sun
on a toasted bun
having lots of fun
playing the accordion
and thinking he should run
before he's too well-done."
Just imagine the illustrations accompanying a wacky verse like that, multiply the whole concept by 10, and you begin to get a sense of Judi Barrett and Daniel Moreton's big, nutty counting-rhyming book. Each number, 1 through 10, is rhymed in the most delightfully nonsensical way, and accompanied by lively, colorful, wittily detailed illustrations. Each two-page spread is devoted to a number poem on one side and picture--of lions with umbrellas, bears operating heavy machinery, and lizards on strike--on the other. Lyrical it is not, but children will enjoy pounding out the final syllable of each line as they learn the joys of numbers and word sounds. Just try to stop young readers from coming up with their own silly rhymes--in fact, how about challenging them to a verse to rhyme with 17! Barrett's goofy sense of humor has been showcased in her many other children's books, including Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. (Ages 2 to 5) --Emilie Coulter