Read-Aloud Storybook for Young Children

PreS-Gr 2-- An odd and seemingly unrelated anthology of folk and contemporary tales. The traditional tales are adapted well, but no sources are cited. The contemporary stories lack significance or depth. Dunbar's own ``The Bric-A-Brack'' ends without resolving anything. The Macleans' bland watercolors with little or no shadowing contribute to the flat, uninteresting appearance. The overuse of cool tones adds to the boring qualities of the figures. Those who are looking for a good read-aloud storybook would be better off with The Helen Oxenbury Nursery Storybook (Knopf, 1992) or Anne Rockwell's The Three Bears and 15 Other Stories (Crowell, 1975). --Elizabeth Hanson, Chicago Public Library