Hickory Dickory Dock

March 1, 2007
PreS-Gr 2-Using rhyming, rhythmic language, Baker expands the traditional nursery rhyme into an around-the-clock adventure. The story begins as a small rodent scurries up to a grandfather clock standing in a field: "Hickory/dickory/dock, /the mouse/ran up/the clock./The clock/struck one]/it's time for fun!" As the timepiece marks each hour, another creaturea bird, a snake, a rabbit, etc.interacts with it, and then takes off to follow its own pursuits: "Hickory/dickory/dock, /a pig/oinked at/the clock./Seven/was struck]/he rolled in muck!" Finally, at midnight, the mouse hurries off to bed beneath a star-filled sky. The short stanzas make this tale appealing to beginning readers as well as a good read-aloud for small children. Large, bold illustrations done in Adobe Photoshop capture the whimsy of the text and will hold the attention of the youngest listeners. The boldly delineated clock face, with hands pointing clearly to each hour, may also help with basic time-telling skills. A useful and fun selection."Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2007
The nursery rhyme "Hickory Dickory Dock" gets new life as it goes through 12 hours of the day. It begins when a mouse runs down the clock as it strikes 1: "It's time for fun!" As each hour chimes, another creature appears, often completing an action initiated in the previous spread. For instance, a bear stops by the clock, and as the chimes strike 10, it's off to its den. Children turning the page will see only the bear's bum as the creature waddles off stage, while a whole new bit of action, featuring a horse grazing near the clock, takes up most of the spread. The design is spare. The pages are mostly empty, dominated by a traditional grandfather clock and the various romping animals. As the day passes, the sky, which comprises the background, turns from sapphire blue to a star-twinkling gray, decorated with a smiling moon. With a bouncy, easy-to-enjoy text and child-appealing collage-style pictures, this is a book that will work well one-on-one or with groups.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)