Hey Diddle Diddle

PreS-Gr 2—Starting with the first line of the well-known nursery rhyme, this story introduces a group of animals that play musical instruments. At the beginning of the book, they appear to have only one fan—a bluebird that follows them from page to page, until a boy shows up on the scene. His interaction with the band comes as a surprise, but he holds the key to an important secret about the animals. Variations of the phrase "Hey diddle diddle" appear throughout; for example, "Hey diddle dumpet,/the camel blows trumpet" and "Hey diddle darp, the mouse plays the harp." Rendered in acrylics, the lively cartoon illustrations appear against vivid backgrounds of purple, yellow, blue, and pink. While the pig and camel are dressed up, the seal and whale look more natural. Catchy rhymes encourage children to imagine the different sounds these instruments make and to appreciate what happens when the dog strikes up the band.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada