What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?

PreS-Gr 1–A delightful story told from the point of view of Mr. Wolf on his birthday. Four and twenty black birds wake him up at seven o’clock, tweeting, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” The three little pigs each slam the doors of their respective houses at eight o’clock, the dish runs away with his spoon at eleven, and the cat and the fiddle disturb Mr. Wolf’s nap at four o’clock. Little Red Riding Hood, Hickory Dickory Dock, the baker from patty-cake, the gingerbread man, Goldilocks and the three bears, Humpty Dumpty, and other favorite nursery rhyme characters make an appearance in the text and/or pictures. Mr. Wolf’s day is not going well until six o’clock when his friends surprise him with a birthday party. Then, when the stars ask, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” there is no response because it’s “BEDtime” and Mr. Wolf is fast asleep. Readers familiar with the nursery-rhyme characters will enjoy poring over the lively, stylized watercolor and ink spreads filled with humorous details. The text, with varying font sizes, scans well, and the book pairs nicely with Joe Kulka’s Wolf’s Coming! (Carolrhoda, 2007).–Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL