One, Two, Buckle My Shoe: A Book of Counting Rhymes

This clever collection of American and English counting rhymes includes old favorites like ``Baa, Baa, Black Sheep'' and ``As I Was Going to St. Ives'' as well as many lesser-known verses. Barnes-Murphy's detailed watercolor-and-ink drawings are filled with witty characters and droll humor, reminiscent in some ways of the work of Richard Scarry. An old goat gleefully plays ``nick nack paddywhack'' on the shoes of a bemused rabbit and on the heads of cherubs, and Gregory Griggs models all 27 of his incredible wigs. Daffodils brashly decorate the hats of three Dickensian Welshmen who find a hedgehog in a bramble bush, and ``nine nimble noblemen nibbling nectarines'' stack themselves in an amazing acrobatic feat. Not only is this an appealing counting book, but it is also a lively introduction to traditional rhymes and wry humor. Ages 4-8. (April)