The House In The Meadow

The House in the Meadow

From School Library JournalPreSchool-Grade 3-A clever idea inspired by Olive A. Wadsworth's classic counting poem, "Over in the Meadow." This version begins with a springtime wedding attended by 10 best friends and counts down as the community comes together "when spring came again" to build the couple a home in a meadow. The poetry is awkward when read aloud-"Over in the meadow, beside forms strong and straight,/Peter mixed concrete with his messy masons 8./`Pour!' said Peter. `We pour,' said the 8./So they poured the concrete into forms strong and straight." Attractive spreads of cut-paper collage carefully detail the process through the seasons, indoors and out, and end with a sunny scene, a picnic, to celebrate the completion of the home and birth of the couple's son. Many ethnicities are represented, and men and women of various ages work together side by side. Women own businesses-painting, plumbing, and moving-and the electricians are "John Bright & Daughters." An additional purchase, with much stronger art than text.Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.Over in the meadow there's a spring wedding, with the couple's 10 best friends to celebrate. What's next? A house! 9 diggers, 8 masons, 7 carpenters, 6 well diggers, etc. show up with all their trucks and tools to build a new house.From BooklistK-Gr. 2. Colorful collage and mixed-media illustrations decorate this new take on the traditional counting rhyme "Over in the Meadow." In this version, a couple celebrate their marriage with their "best friends 10," then break ground for a new house. The house rises in the meadow, thanks to cheerful "diggers 9," "masons 8," "carpenters 7," and so on, until "inspector 1" makes sure everything is done. Crum neatly fits descriptions of house building into the format of the song, covering everything from the masons who pour the foundation, to the roofers, the plumbers, and the electricians, and the illustrations are both cheerful and clever. Billin-Frye effectively uses crisply cut solid-color and patterned papers, overlapping them to give the pictures a three-dimensional look. This book works on many levels: as a creative counting book, a familiar sing-along, and an appealing introduction to building a house. It will also be great for reading aloud. Diane FooteCopyright