Oink-a-Doodle-Moo

K-Gr 2—In this funny barnyard game of Telephone, a pig whispers to a rooster: "I have a secret. Oink. Pass it on." The rooster flits across the field and tells the cow, "Oink-a-doodle-doo. Pass it on." As the message makes the rounds, each animal adds a sound of its own. The unlucky dog at the end of the chain races back to the pig and struggles to remember, "Hee-haw-oink-baa-quack-caw-ribbit-hiss-neigh-meow-moo-hoo-squeak." When the pooch admits defeat ("Oink-a-...Um, uh… Ribbit-quack...hiss-something-something-moo....I can't do it"), the pig is reassuring: "Don't worry...we'll just start over!" Czekaj's digitally colored cartoon characters have big, expressive eyes and lots of personality as they dash across the pages with focused intent. This circular tale offers plenty of laughs, and children will love to join in on the wacky string of animal sounds. A great storytime choice....Pass it on.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada