Old MacDonald Had Her Farm. JonArno Lawson. Illustrated by Tina Holdcroft. Toronto, ON: Annick Press, 2012. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $19.95 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-55451-456-4 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55451-457-1 (hc.). Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7. Review by Inderjit Deogun. **** /4

Old MacDonald Had Her Farm is a spectacular re-imagination of the beloved children's rhyme. The familiar refrain of E-I-E-I-O is replaced by A-E-I-O-U, thereby transforming this classic into a fun teaching tool for youngsters.

Old MacDonald had her farm, a e i o u. And when she came across an a, this is what she'd do...

     After the introduction of each vowel, Lawson expertly highlights that vowel with action-packed tongue twisters.

Saw barn planks, stack sacks. Sacks fall, stand back crank cranks, slap backs. Watch black cats attack fat rats. Bang at backward taps grab bags whack gnats.

     This symphony for the senses continues with sprinkles of onomatopoeia: Trim twigs, snip-snip. The bold sounds are coupled perfectly with Holdcroft's vibrant illustrations that showcase our new female Old MacDonald, an inventor extraordinaire who does things differently. While the original Old MacDonald can be spotted in the background with his wheel barrel and rake, the new Old MacDonald chooses catapults and pulleys to get the job done.

      Old MacDonald Had Her Farm is a brilliant reinvention of an old favourite. Lawson and Holdcroft have created a masterpiece of colour and rhyme that young children will enjoy greedily.

Highly Recommended.

Inderjit Deogun is writer in Toronto, ON.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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