Old MacDonald Had a Baby

Starred review from August 19, 2019
Early parenthood builds into a barnyard menagerie in this variation on “Old MacDonald.” One father, brown skinned and bespectacled, heads out for the day; his lighter-skinned, plaid-clad partner waves from the door of their farmhouse residence, babe in arm. As the day unfolds, the latter cares for their infant with the help of a growing retinue of animal friends, among them a dog, a cow, and a chicken who totes a rainbow-ribboned tambourine. Together, the growing group helps with ablutions, feedings (“with a spoonful here,/ and a handful there,” Snape writes), and entertainments, even breaking for a tractor-adjacent diaper change (“E-I-E-I-O”). As the day ramps up, then winds down, a loving community emerges from Steele’s emotive ink and watercolor art (a cow offers milk, a horse distracts using a frog puppet). Though the meter sometimes feels clunky, the long days ring true, and the vision of an inclusive, affectionate caretaking village shines. Ages 2–5.

Starred review from November 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-With a twist on the traditional Old MacDonald rhyme, Snape tells what life is like with a new baby, incorporating the same singsong E-I-E-I-O refrain. Steele's colorful illustrations turn the tables on the role of the farmer and the animals as, one by one, the farm animals enter the story to lend a helping hand to a new dad. Snape uses bold print to emphasize all of the sounds, parental tasks, and needs of a baby that are sure to tire Old MacDonald out. Children will be delighted and amused at many of the images depicting the mayhem that infants inevitably can create and parents will be impressed with the animals' patience with the baby's antics. VERDICT A great addition to any library especially with its depiction of a modern, two-dad family.-Katie Callahan, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2019
Snape and Steele give readers a modern twist. Old MacDonald is a going-gray-around-the-temples beige-skinned man with a black husband and a beige-skinned baby. When his husband drives off in the morning, MacDonald is left in charge of the child with help from his pets--and eventually the entire barnyard, as with each stanza a new animal joins the action. Steele's bright, cartoon-style illustrations sell the zaniness of a new dad's day. They elevate the story as bipedal animals assist the harried dad with the increasing chaos, but they can't save it. Snape's word choice often fights the tempo of the song, and the few moments of alliteration may create tongue-twisters during read-alouds: "And for that baby he sang a song, / E-I-E-I-O. / With a boom-boom here, / And a crash-bang there, // Here's a clap, there's a whack, / Everywhere's a raucous ruckus!" The constantly changing language--so different from the song's patterning--makes it impossible for a child or a group of children to sing along. The joy of "Old MacDonald" is the call-and-response opportunity offered with each additional animal. What does a goat say again? In this version, adults may chuckle at the memory of the frantic early years, but children will feel frustrated that they have limited moments to join in the fun. It sinks some really good illustrations. This Old MacDonald's not much fun. E-I-E-I-O. (Picture book. 4-6)

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