Synopsis
A dog, a rooster, a cow, and a mouse mistake their own echoes for larger animals and set out to scare them away
Reviews
PreSchool-Grade 2-Not since Henny Penny have animals been so confused! Every day Buster, the dog, thinks he hears a bigger dog barking across the valley. Eager to put a stop to it, he sets off to chase it away. He meets up with a rooster who is certain there is a giant rooster who needs to be sent on his way as well. The duo is joined by a cow and a mouse who are equally anxious to rid the world of the larger moo and squeak. Funny thing is, once the group reaches their destination, they find no one and believe the animals have "'sneaked across to our hill because they are so scared!'" You'll hear echoes of laughter from children as they catch on to the secret. Brillantly colored illustrations add to the fun of Buster and his friends. A sheer delight!-Lesley McKinstry, Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, OH
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Scamell ( Three Bags Full ) and debut illustrator Webster fill this accessible picture book with an animal team resembling that of a Grimm fairy tale, "The Brementown Musicians." Buster the dog lives on one side of a valley, and when he barks, he hears a thunderous "woof" from a large dog on the opposite hill. Meanwhile, a rooster hears a giant rooster's cock-a-doodle-doo, a cow hears a "terrible" bull's moo and a mouse hears a mean rat's squeak across the way. Buster and friends cross the valley to confront their foes, never realizing that they've merely heard their own echoes; they return home convinced that they've frightened their unseen adversaries. Scamell leaves it up to the book's title to explain the echo concept. Webster's minimalistic illustrations--with their wide, unsteady black outlines and undiluted areas of primary and secondary color--match the straightforwardness of the narration. Where Scamell relies on her title to build irony, Webster adds sophistication with her palette of luxurious indigos and aquamarines, startling crimsons and steely gray-greens. Well-suited to the very young. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Ages 4-8. Buster is sure the answering "Woof!" he hears from across the valley every morning is that of a large dog trying to frighten him. One morning he decides to confront his challenger. He is joined by Rooster, Cow, and Little Mouse, each of whom has also heard a challenge from across the valley. When no antagonists are found, the three larger animals are convinced they frightened the challengers away. It is only Little Mouse who concludes that there were never any foes in the first place. The "echo joke" is one that will appeal to primary-graders who understand the concept. Scamell's text invites audience participation, and Webster's energetic figures (large solid forms boldly outlined in black) can effectively be used with large groups at story times. Janice Del Negro
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