Old MacDonald's Farm
Illustrated by Donovan Bixley
Publisher: Hachette New Zealand
ISBN: 978-1-86971-230-3
Summary/Back cover:
Old MacDonald has a beautiful New Zealand farm - and on that farm he has some very remarkable animals! What are they up to now?
Review:
This book is simply beautiful - the words are simply the traditional "Old MacDonald had a Farm" words, but the illustrations tell a story in their own right, of the farmer being woken by a cat, having his breakfast made by a dog, the pigs pampering themselves, the sheep shearing each other (in a salon-style scene) and the cows preparing a morning snack for themselves. There is so much iconic Kiwiana that I doubt I've seen it all yet - but there's also a picture list of Kiwiana inside the front and back covers. Maybe this is a clue to look for these things throughout the book?
If you love singing Old MacDonald to your children, I definitely recommend this book - it even has the sheet music to Old MacDonald at the back of the book, so you can grab your nearest instrument (of your choice) and play along.
My three year old adores this book - last night he went off to bed last night singing away to himself, and then started saying "Oh! What a clever doggy!" - it was at this stage that we realised he'd taken the book to bed with him and was 'reading' it to himself, not just singing a remembered song. My one year old spent a lot of time reaching out to touch interesting things on the page - there's a lot of detail in each illustration, but they are clear and easy for young eyes to identify known objects in.
Overall, a lovely piece of Kiwiana - a great one as a gift for overseas visiting children, and definitely one for your own Kiwi bookshelf.
If you're interested in purchasing this book, you can find it here at Fishpond.
My rating: 4.8 out of 5.
Review written by Bronwyn
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