cover image Over the Meadow: 5

Over the Meadow: 5

Pamela Conn Beall, Susan Hagen Nipp, Bate. Price Stern Sloan, $10.95 (57pp) ISBN 978-0-8431-1949-7

This Wee Sing title expands the old song, ""Over in the Meadow.'' Billy asks his mother why he has to brush his teeth. Off they go to find out why toads blink (to clear their eyes), why lizards bask (to warm their bodies), why bees buzz (to signify their busy-ness), etc. With every stopten chorusesBilly gleans information about why all children ``have to'' do certain tasks. A musical score is included; dialogue is marked with rebuses of the characters so that the play can be acted out. The writing is necessarily repetitious to suit the counting song; Reasoner cheerfully fills each page with a friendly nature setting of goggle-eyed bugs and bespectacled birds. No ages given. (September)