100 GOATS AND GRANNY!

Counting goats can sure be nifty, but when there’s 100 of them, it can also be a challenge.

Atinuke taps into the rhythms of Mother Goose for this romp, while Hinds fills her folk art–esque paintings with cheery caprine chaos. “Granny’s got a goat! / Granny’s got a goat!” Granny sits on a crate with pastel-colored laundry drying on the line behind her; she’s looking down at a smiling white goat. But with the turn of the page, readers see “Not 1, not 2, / not 3, not 4, / but more and more / and more and more!” There are eight, in fact, beginning to engage in goatly shenanigans with the laundry. In a magnificent double-page spread, the count goes up by 10s: “20, 30, 40, 50… / Counting goats is getting nifty!” Ninety-nine goats cavort on the grass and trip-trap across the brightly colored tin-roofed homes in the background, chewing laundry, eating homework, and pooping with abandon. When Granny’s 100th goat goes missing, the quest to retrieve it takes readers, Granny’s many grandchildren, and the dignified Granny herself into a town that’s clearly ready to say goodbye to the naughty goat. Atinuke’s text rollicks while Hinds’ illustrations urge readers to slow down to take in every delicious detail. Granny, kids, and community members are all Black, sporting clothes in bright Caribbean colors.

Great goatish fun.