I Went Walking

I went walking.
What did you see?
I saw a black cat
Looking at me.

These catchy stanzas frolic through the Australian author Sue Williams's simple, funny read-aloud picture book that tracks a crazy-haired boy's stroll through the countryside. The boy sees a black cat, then a brown horse, then a red cow, and so on, and before he knows it, he's being trailed by the entire menagerie! The Australian illustrator Julie Vivas brings the parade to life in lovely, lively watercolors—when the pink pig looks at the boy, for example, the boy sprays off his muddy body with a hose. Big type, repetition, friendly art, clean design—and the visual guessing game created by introducing each animal only partially at first—make this beloved tale a winner at story time.