Froggy Went A-Courtin'
PreSchool-Grade 3 - Tyler's elegantly illustrated version of a popular song contains many traditional verses and a few new ones. The text is divided into five sections, the titles of which appear in hand-written script: "The Courtship," "The Proposal," "The Wedding," "The Guests," and "The Honeymoon." The story begins with Froggy riding off to court Miss Mousie. After getting the approval of her Uncle Rat, a wedding is planned. Guests at the festive affair run the gamut from a white moth to a garter snake to a nimble flea. When the ceremony comes to a swift end with the arrival of an old tomcat, the tale concludes with a trip to France "And that's the end of this romance." A brief introduction to the song is provided along with directions on how to interject "Um-hum! Um-hum!" if readers decide to sing it, and the title page shows three lines of music as an aid. All of the text is printed in gold ink, which adds to the graceful blend of words and pictures. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations have a Tasha Tudoresque look to them with their extremely fine details and old-fashioned mood. A welcome adaptation of this classic tune.- Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.