Dem Bones

Weane and Forgo tweak the traditional spiritual to feature the bones of an elephant, billy goat, cat, and dog in this board book rendition. Dusky scenery—showing a castle, ghosts, and plenty of flitting bats—spotlights a group of seven cheerful animals and one human, all wearing white-boned skeleton costumes. As the tune proceeds (“The TOE bone’s connected to the FOOT bone”), four of the cartoon figures receive their own verse (“Now shake them PUPPY DOG bones!”). Readers may wonder why a few of the characters, among them a dinosaur and a bear, don’t earn their own verses, and the chorus’s repetition wears thin after multiple reprisals. But the volume may well encourage readers to shake their own bodies—and their sillies—out. Ages 3–6. [em](Aug.) [/em]