There’s a Hole in my Bucket

There’s a Hole in my Bucket [with CD] illustrated by Jenny Cooper (Scholastic Australia)
HB RRP $12.99 [Board book]
ISBN 978-1-77543-234-0
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

There’s a Hole in my Bucket is a board book version of the well known song of the same name. In this book, the long-suffering Liza is depicted as an often grumpy goose, while dear Henry is a happily goofy goat.

The illustrations throughout this board book are delightful. Henry keeps getting distracted by all manner of things – like a clothesline full of clothes – and Liza, who starts off cheerful, gets more and more frustrated with him.

The text dances along the pages, echoing the playfulness of the lyrics and the humour is wonderfully alive in both the words and pictures.

This is a fun and attractive board book for both babies and their older readers.

Along with the board book is a CD which is performed by New Zealand comedians the Topp Twins. They sing with wonderfully goaty and goosey voices to great effect.

She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain

She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain [with CD] sung by The Topp Twins, illustrated by Jenny Cooper (Scholastic NZ)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-1-77543-172-5
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

This is a fun song, sung with great enjoyment and gusto by The Topp Twins on the CD which comes with She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain. Most young children will have fun with the beat and country twang and the repetitive nature of the song makes it easy for kids to learn and sing along to.

Much of the fun of this book also comes from the illustrations and the antics of the animals who are anticipating her arrival- a very cheeky looking girl with bright red curls and blue striped pyjamas. Jenny Cooper has illustrated two other Topp Twin recordings – Do Your Ears Hang Low? and There’s a Hole in My Bucket – and brings the same lively amusement to She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain as she has to these previous picture books.

Preschool children are going to be saying ‘Read it again, Mum’ and ‘Play it again, Mum’ many times over.

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Do Your Ears Hang Low? sung by The Topp Twins, illustrations by Jenny Cooper (Scholastic NZ)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-1-77543– 104-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Do Your Ears Hang Low? is a well known and very catchy song. I’m sure most people know the tune. This book version is fantastically illustrated by Jenny Cooper and features the cutest animals with amazing ears, including a sheepish looking basset hound with his ears tied in a bow, a buck toothed llama with ears standing high and a charismatic mouse who directs the action throughout.

My nine-year-old daughter read this and was immediately singing the song for days, adding her own words and flavour as she went. Kids have so much fun with the words:

   Do your ears flip-flop?
   Can you use then as a mop?

and the total silliness of the suggestions:

    Can you semaphore your neighbour
    With a minimum of labour?

The pictures are truly humorous and endearing. I especially love the cover illustration of the mouse, pulling the hound along by his ears. Cooper is brilliant at capturing animals and the expressions on their faces.

There are plenty of easy actions kids that can add to the tune as they sing-along and the interaction continues to the last page where the reader can check out their own ears on the mirror provided.
At the end are some astonishing, silly and funny facts about ears.

The accompanying CD has two tracks, one with The Topp Twins singing Do Your Ears Hang Low? and one with the instrumental version for anyone to sing along to. This book is entertaining and perfect to share with kids from pre-school age up.