Pickin' Peas - Hardcover

MacDonald, Margaret Read

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 006027235X ISBN 13: 9780060272357

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1998

Synopsis

Pickin peas. Land on my knees! sings a pesky rabbit as he merrily eats his way through the pea patch Little Girl has planted. But when Little Girl snatches him up and takes him home to put in a box until pea season is over, the rabbit is soon singing a new tune as he plans his escape. With a nod to Brer Rabbit, Pickin Peas is based on two folktales collected in Alabama and Virginia at the end of the last century. The lively storytelling voice of Margaret Read MacDonald, matched with Pat Cummingss bright, bold pictures, makes this funny battle-of-wits tale perfect to tell out loud, letting everyone share in the fun of chanting its rhymic refrain!

About this title

About the Author:

Margaret Read MacDonald is a storyteller, author, folklorist, and children's librarian, whom School Library Journal has called "a grand dame of storytelling." Ms. MacDonald is the author of numerous books, including pickin' peas, illustrated by Pat Cummings, and the award-winning book The Parents' Guide to Storytelling. She lives in Kirkland, Washington.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1-A retelling of a folktale originally collected in Alabama at the turn of the century. Little Girl plants a garden, then harvests the peas in the summer, singing "Pickin' peas./Put 'em in my pail." Meanwhile, a pesky rabbit follows along behind her, eating the smaller peas that she'd left behind to grow some more. He croons, "Pickin' peas./Land on my knees." The girl, realizing she's not alone in the garden, discovers and catches the rabbit, putting him in a box "till pea-picking season is OVER." Not surprisingly, the wily animal tricks his captor into letting him go, and the next morning, he's back in the garden again. The folksy tone of the text and the contemporary illustrations, which depict an African-American girl in shorts, a tank top, and sunglasses, don't quite mesh. An author's note explaining the origins of this tale and offering storytelling tips as well as a tune for the song (invented by MacDonald) appear at the end.
Tana Elias, Meadowridge Branch Library, Madison, WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 006027235X
• ISBN 13: 9780060272357
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Cummings Pat