Milgrim's (Time to Get Up, Time to Go
) ingenious, giggle-inducing paper-over-board spoof of the classic kid's song stars a farm boy named MacDonald who plays mad scientist, complete with lab coat. With the help of a homemade transmogrifier, he turns a horse and pig into a "A Hig!
Ee-i-ee-i-o./ With an Oink-Neigh
here,/ And an Oink-Neigh
there,/ Here an Oink
, there a Neigh
,/ Everywhere an Oink-Neigh
." He pictures a horse with a pig's head and curlicue tail, and barnyard critters agape (a sheep even stands on its hind legs). Next up are a deese (donkey-goose), shicken (sheep-chicken) and muck (mouse-duck). While it's clear that none of these amalgamated animals minds too much—Milgrim depicts them skateboarding, swimming and even playing polo with their creator—turnabout is fair play, and Young MacDonald soon finds himself transformed into a "bog" (boy-dog, portrayed as a human with a dog's head and tail). The author's crisp, naïf-editorial renderings and airbrushed colors match the playful simplicity of the text and theme, and the spreads bubble with a giddy glee that never wears out its welcome. Luckily, all ends happily: Young MacDonald has everyone correctly reassembled just in time to enjoy a pizza dinner. Ages 5-up. (May)
