"Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker's man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can!
Roll it and pat it and mark it with a "B",
And put it in the ...
POP! GOES THE WEASEL.
A weasel IN A CAKE?
Who wants to eat baked weasel!?!
This is a book that I would have loved to read to little ones! If I close my eyes, I can hear their giggling at the page turns, and their need to make things right. Of course, it will have much more impact if the listeners have lots of experience with hearing and memorizing nursery rhymes. Are they shared in classrooms today? I know that the ability to rhyme has a dramatic impact as children take up the task of independent reading. Making rhymes a part of the day's learning is an important first step to future success.
Taking familiar nursery rhymes and turning them upside down is a task the very wily weasel has given himself. Readers will know from the get-go; it is going to be a rollicking ride. First, it's the donkey who feels the full effect. That success for the weasel is simply encouragement to keep doing what he's doing. Mary, of lamb fame, is on an adventure with a tiny lamb when she inadvertently pushes an elevator button only to unleash the spirited weasel, loud of voice and bursting with energy.
A secretary bird interjects with a comment:
"Wait, what?
I'm sorry, but that is NOT how
that rhyme goes. Let's try again."
Jack and Jill are next. While Jack falls down as expected, Jill went - well, you know. As the weasel continues with his shenanigans, the bird keeps doing her best to bring decorum to the familiar rhymes. As the weasel gets evermore adventurous, the secretary bird becomes more annoyed. In a fit of anger, the bird calls LOUDLY for NO MORE WEASELS! The demand seems to be working; still, the tension is building for it to happen again. The quiet is seemingly endless.
You know, and I know - we just don't know when or where. You will have to read it for yourself.
Digital art, done in pastels with cartoon leanings, is filled with movement, facial expressions, drama, and a ton of fun. You will be charged with repeated readings and will always have help with the POP! What a performance piece this is!
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