Over in the Grasslands - Hardcover

"Anna Wilson studied modern languages at Cambridge University. Over in the Grasslands is her first book. She lives in London with her husband, David, and her daughter, Lucy.

Alison Bartlett's first book, Oliver's Vergetables, was immensely successful. Her second book, Charlie's Checklist, features her own dog, Charlie. She lives in Bristol, England, with Charlie and dreams of living in St. Ives. Over in the Grassland is her first book for Little, Brown and Company."

Wilson's first book smoothly adapts the lively rhythms of the classic childhood song "Over in the Meadow" to the denizens of African plains: "Over in the grasslands/ in the heat of the sun/ Lived an old mother rhino/ and her little rhino one./ 'Munch,' said the mother. 'We munch,' said the one./ So they munched all day/ in the heat of the sun." The following spreads devote similar attention to different animal families of increasing size. The verses wind down with grown-up monkeys "and their little monkeys ten," the latter being put to sleep "in a big warm den." Bartlett's (Oliver's Vegetables) sunny full-page paintings give this straightforward rhyme considerable appeal. Saturated tropical colors light up frontal views of friendly animals, who face the audience almost as if grouped for a family portrait. On verso spreads, the number featured in each verse appears in the top left corner, below which flows a border echoing a motif from the painting paired with it. The hard-to-resist cover illustration, of four tangerine-colored lion cubs snuggling with their mother under a lush orange sky, gives a good indication of the pleasures within. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.