GOBBLE GOBBLE CRASH!

Do not be fooled: This is not a Thanksgiving tale. It is, however, a counting, rhyming, barnyard, bedtime story. And the humor and illustrations actually make it all work. A rafter of wild turkeys disrupts the sleep of all the barnyard animals as they flap and crash about the farm. Things really get heated when the farmer, mighty grouchy at his midnight awakening, vows to turn the turkeys into dinner. Aghast, the rest of the animals hide the turkeys while the farmer searches about. The rhyming text conveys all the action in sturdy couplets, at the same time giving readers the opportunity to count the animals and their offspring from one to ten all along the way. Gorbachev’s characteristic ink-and-watercolor artwork incorporates cool greens and blues that set the sleepy tone and make the whole barnyard seem peaceful and inviting—except, of course, when the turkeys crash the scene again. A lively addition to any preschooler or storytime collection. (Picture book. 3-5)