Over in the Meadow: A Counting Rhyme - Hardcover

Wadsworth, Olive A

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0735815968 ISBN 13: 9780735815964

Publisher: NorthSouth Books, 2002

Synopsis

Over in the Meadow
in the sand in the sun
Lived an old mother turtle
and her little turtle one.

So begins this classic nursery poem, written by Olive A Wadsworth in the late 19th century, a favorite counting rhyme for generations of children. Anna Vojtech's sweet illustrations depict a sun-drenched meadow filled with loving animal families-from mother turtle with her one baby to ten little beavers embraced by their doting mother. There are lots to count in the cleverly designed pictures, and sharp-eyed youngsters will delight in finding a corresponding number of background details on each spread.

About this title

About the Author

Anna Vojtech has illustrated numerous books for children, mostly folktales and stories about nature. Nature has always been a strong source of inspiration for Anna. Her pictures are full of flowers and animals, of giraffes and elephants, of little birds and chipmunks. Folktales are also about people, their nature and their spirit. Through her illustrations Anna has brought readers closer to our Native American heritage as well as the traditions of other nations.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 3-A slightly oversized, attractive edition of the classic rhyme. Numbers from 1 to 10, as well as the expected inhabitants of this meadow, are pictured on the opening spread. On each subsequent spread, an illustration of the animal appears on the left and the verse on the right. Sharp eyes will notice, especially as the numbers get higher, that each picture also contains other animals, insects, objects, or plants in the same numbers. For example, there are not only four baby ratties in the barn; there are four hens, four eggs, four trees seen through the barn door, and four prongs in the pitchfork. Although many versions of the verse, both traditional and nontraditional, are available, this is an accessible rendition that children will enjoy in storytime and on their own.
Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 3-6. This newly illustrated version of the classic nursery poem opens with a lovely double-page spread set in a glorious meadow. Subsequent spreads show warm, detailed illustrations of animal mothers and their babies on the left-hand page; the large-font typeface is set against a white background on the facing page. Spot art of the baby animals below the text anchors the design. The text refers to the number of each animal's babies, and readers will learn a bit of counting by pointing out each one. By the time the poem reaches 10, one full day has passed, and the sun sets on a sleeping beaver family. Vojtech's watercolors are soft, realistic to a degree, and comforting. Kathy Broderick
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: NorthSouth Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0735815968
• ISBN 13: 9780735815964
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Vojtech Anna
• Number of pages: 24