Over in the Meadow

In a lively variation on the familiar nursery rhyme, Cabrera (Eggday) offers an appealing and energetic landscape of boldly applied colors. Smudges reminiscent of finger painting dot the meadow, and each animal, outlined in thick black, stands out against its habitat. A pair of little goldfish with propeller fins swims in a blue-green sea, and seven froggies jump with Old Mother Frog in a ""green grass heaven."" The ""little ratties four"" gnaw all day by the old barn door, and 10 gray rabbits twitch in ""a cozy wee den."" To reinforce the counting lessons, Cabrera shows the entire barnyard scene and invites readers to find the animals once more (""Over in the meadow/ while the mothers are away,/ can you count the babies?/ They've all come out to play!""). A final page offers yet another refresher, as the animals cavort around their corresponding numeral. Learning to count--and even a bit about nature--is as easy as one, two, three in this merry meadow. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)