Old Cricket
Old Cricket didn't get to be a ripe old age "by being a dumb bug." No,  sir. When his wife asks him to ready their roof for the winter, he fakes  a knee injury to weasel out of it. When she sends him off to Doc Hopper,  he hobbles out of the house "with acreak-creak-creakin case his  missus was watching." On his way, he meets up with his cousin Katydid,  who needs help with some berry-picking. He fakes yet another ailment--a  crick in his neck--and wobbles off "with acreak-creak-creak, and  acrick-crick-crick, in case Katydid was watching." All (meaning  Old Cricket's nap) would have gone according to plan, surely, if the bug  didn't encounter Old Crow, a bird who didn't get to be a ripe old age  "by being a birdbrain." Old Crow wants to eat Old Cricket, and by the  time our leggy anti-hero escapes the crow's clutches, the conniving  cricket has developed some very real ailments. The team behind the  wonderfulSailor Moo: Cow  at Seasucceeds again in creating a delightfully clever  read-aloud with plenty of rhythm, repetition, and winning wordplay.  Ponder Goembel's skillful, larger-than-life illustrations (my, what  hairy legs the crickets have!) suit the good-natured fable to a T. (Ages  4 to 8)--Karin Snelson--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.