THREE WISE OLD WOMEN

Transforming a brief bit of 19th-century nonsense verse into an elaborately silly outing, Han sends three women of diverse but mature years, dressed in long, brightly hued pinafores, capering down a country road on a cherry-picking expedition, along with a similarly frisky band of bunnies, birds, and other small creatures. It all goes wrong, alas, as they first worry about nonexistent bears, then find themselves not in a tree, but blown out to sea. So: “whether they ever sailed home again / whether they saw any bears or no, / You must find out, / for I don’t know.” Despite misadventures, the sojourners generally look as if they’re enjoying themselves, and younger viewers will likewise chortle at their antics. For fans of Audrey Wood’s Silly Sally (1992) and its ilk. (Picture book. 6-8)