Lazy Daisy, Cranky Frankie

February 4, 2013
Australian cartoonist Weldon and his partner Jordan present a farm where the animals behave in ways that deviate from the norm. Tidy verse focuses on one animal at a time: “This is my pig,/ she’s called Nancy./ She should like mud,/ but she’s too fancy./ Instead she stares/ at her reflection,/ ‘My oh my,/ you are perfection,’ ” reads one segment, as Weldon shows the pig gazing at herself through thick eyelashes and carefully combing the single hair on her head; elsewhere in her pen, earthworms and a mouse look on, and an unseen farmer unloads food scraps for this fancy Nancy’s next meal. With half-lidded eyes, quirky accessories, and sometimes menacing stares, Weldon’s animals could easily be neighbors to a farm run by Gary Larsen; readers only get brief glimpses of a few promising characters, including a duck with an Olympic medal and a sheep wearing roller skates and a top hat. The ending strikes a gentle note after all the light absurdity that precedes it; readers ought to look forward to a return visit to this one-of-a-kind farm. Ages 4–7.

February 1, 2013

PreS-K-Sometimes it's nice to read a book that's nonsensical and silly and nothing else. There's no moral to the story; it's just for giggles. Jordan and Weldon's effort fits that bill well with goofy, cartoon illustrations and an amusing account of misbehaving farm animals. Some of the jokers include Daisy, a cow who likes to eat jelly from a spoon; Lizzie, a chicken who "dances through the air, /in her purple underwear"; and Cranky Frankie, a dog who watches TV while indulging in tea and cake. The only thing the animals do well is sleep soundly at night. The cheerful, rhyming text is very basic with just a couple of lines per page, making this a good choice for a quick read-aloud and an accessible option for beginning readers. The artwork is big and bright and fun. A funny little detail awaits readers at the end: Lizzie is still in her purple underwear as she snoozes on her roost with the other chickens. Kids will request this book again and again, and their grown-ups won't mind a bit.-Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2013
Another farm where the animals misbehave--well, they are good at something anyway. "This is my cow, / she's called Daisy. / She should eat grass, / but she's too lazy." Instead what does Daisy do? She sits around all day being spoon-fed jelly. Nancy the pig is no better at doing what she ought. She's much too fancy to roll in the mud. "Instead she stares / at her reflection, / 'My oh my, / you are perfection.' " Lizzie the chicken doesn't lay eggs; she's much too busy dancing in her purple underwear. Frankie the dog rounds out this rogue's gallery. He's far too cranky to herd the sheep. Instead he watches television and demands tea and cakes. "This is my farm, / it might not look good. / None of the animals / do what they should." But when nighttime comes, all of the animals display their expertise...at sleeping. Jordan and Weldon offer up this Australian farm that, like so many American farms in picture-book-land, finds itself peopled with contrary animals. The rhyming text will be easy to learn, and audiences will enjoy watching the ever-so-slightly goofy animals act up. The watercolor illustrations feature expressive cartoon animals who range from bored Daisy to seemingly over-caffeinated Lizzie. The roller-skating sheep glaring out from under its top hat is particularly hysterical. A good addition to the fractious-farm-animals genre, and a fine bedtime story to boot. (Picture book. 2-5)

COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.