Baby Says "Moo!"

PreS—A family shops for groceries and then takes a ride to the country for a picnic. "Baby takes a ride/through the busy, dizzy city,/waves at a yellow bird/singing so pretty./Baby, what do birds say?/Baby says 'Moo!'" As they pass different animals, the parents ask their baby, who clutches a toy cow, what each creature says, and Baby always answers "Moo!" Finally, after the child has fallen asleep, they see a cow: "Wake up Baby! Here's a cow for you!/ Baby, what do cows say?/Baby says 'Moo!'" The rhyming text reads smoothly, and the acrylic illustrations are childlike and cheerful, making the book exactly right for toddlers. Each time a new animal is seen, the parents reiterate the names of the previous creatures and their sounds, inviting participation. The text, set in a blue font resembling a child's handwriting, emphasizes the animal sounds in red. A winner for the youngest listeners.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA