Fiddle-I-Fee: A Farmyard Song for the Very Young

This ebullient take on a familiar nursery song features a cozy pastoral setting and a winsome cast. Readers follow a boy around the barnyard as he feeds his pets (cat, pig, goat, duck, etc.), and all join in for an impromptu parade that culminates with a tractor ride and a festive picnic. Each turn of the page introduces a new verse, a new animal and a new sound (``pig went griffy-gruffy''; ``goose went swishy-swashy''), making this a particularly satisfying read-aloud. Sweet's buoyant watercolors are the perfect complement to the cumulative ``Old MacDonald''-style text. Framed by cheerily dotted borders, animals are introduced on left-hand pages; opposite, they frolic in full-page scenes. Youngsters will delight in the clever foreshadowing of coming attractions--the pig's entrance, for example, is preceded by a glimpse on the previous page of pink hindquarters and a curly tail. Music is included. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)