The Lemonman: A Picnic, a Toad and Swampwater Road. Natasha Ferrill. Illustrated by José Pou. Ottawa, ON: www.thelemonman.com, 2011. 32 pp., pbk., $11.95. ISBN 978-0-9869464-0-0. Kindergarten–grade 2 / Ages 5–7. Review by Inderjit Deogun. **½ /4

excerpt:

"The game I shall propose to you is a game of skill and chance,"
Mr. Toad explained quite cunningly as he gave a shifty glance.

Now Mr. Cunningham C. Toad was a stranger to Applenook,
A traveling salesman was his claim, but really was a rotten crook!

And because the Lemonman was naïve, being from a lemon tree,
The game of "skill" and "chance" was just a trick he could not see.

Mr. Toad pulled out a deck of cards from his sack of riddles and tricks,
"You see there goes the Queen of Hearts, the ten and now the six.

If you, my friend, can guess the Queen from my hand of three,
I'll give you a prize if you'll sign right here, just you wait and see."

Because it's the perfect day for a picnic, the Lemonman calls up Professor Celery and Miss Strawberry to invite them to a day out. With his basket filled to the rim, the Lemonman sets off to meet his friends. However, on his way to Cherry Blossom Park, the Lemonman encounters Mr. Cunningham C. Toad. The Lemonman soon realizes that Mr. Toad was nothing more than a crook who hoodwinked him into giving away his basket of goodies.

     Natasha Ferrill's The Lemonman: A Picnic, A Toad and Swampwater Road is the first story in "The Lemonman" picture book series. Ferrill's rhyming couplets have a singsong quality that will instantly capture the attention of young readers. She cleverly identifies the instigator of the story, Mr. Cunningham C. Toad, by making him a toad and not a fruit or vegetable like the residents of Applenook. While some may see her use of advanced words as a launching pad for expanding the vocabulary of young readers, others may see it as a hindrance. The Lemonman: A Picnic, A Toad and Swampwater Road is a playful tale that both children and parents will enjoy.

Recommended.

Inderjit Deogun is currently pursuing a career in publishing with a particular interest in children's literature.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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