MILLIE IN THE MEADOW

Millie, a cheerful cow, spots an artist setting up his tools in her field. She draws near and wonders, “Maybe he will paint a picture of me?” Like an eager child before a camera, she poses as she provides the clues for each meadow creature the painter brings to the canvas. “First, the artist painted someone with a small red body and black spots. That’s not me, Millie thought.” Soon distracted by her countryside chums, she leaves the artist to play. He finishes and brings his masterpiece to Millie. This time, she sees her friends surrounding someone with a white body, brown spots, four legs, and a long tail. Millie joyfully deduces the happy creature basking in the center of attention: “Moo! Must be me!” Like Blue’s Clues, young readers will enjoy guessing the animals from the descriptions. Also, Pedersen’s (Baby for Sale, 2002, etc.) cartoon, very child-like watercolors, lively colors lined in black, personify Millie’s curiosity and actions like a pre-school child caught up in her own world. One particular painting shows Millie looking at a bug through her legs briefly forgetting about the artist at work behind her. Picture perfect. (Picture book. 2-5)