SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE

You can judge this book by its cover. Precisely as promised, it is thickly packed with rhymes, songs, and a few well-told tales—25 in all. The cover painting of crows escaping from a pie is a perfect example of the fine artwork inside. This is a collection for the youngest set of story-lovers and lap-time snugglers. Each one is a classic, well-known and well-loved by generations with shorter versions like “Little Bo Peep,” which includes only the first verse and longer ones such as “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with four verses. Some tales offer a variation on the classic. In “The Three Little Pigs,” for instance, the third pig is a female and in the “Little Red Hen” she doesn’t have chicks with whom to share her bread. The compilation is generously illustrated in rich, warm tones on white with attention to detail without clutter. The characters, animal and human alike, are pudgy and benevolently expressive. From “Hey Diddle, Diddle” to “Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat,” this is a bountiful treasury of gems. (Anthology. 2-5)