CM Magazine: When they are up.

________________ CM . . . . Volume X Number 9 . . . . January 2, 2004

cover
When They Are Up...

Maggee Spicer and Richard Thompson. Illustrated by Kirsti Anne Wakelin.
Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2003.
32 pp., cloth, $19.95.
ISBN 1-55041-707-X.

Subject Headings:
Nursery rhymes-Juvenile literature.
Children’s poetry.

Kindergarten-grade 3 / Ages 5-8.

Review by Gail Hamilton.

*** /4

Reviewed from f&g’s.

excerpt:

The Grand old Duke of York
He has ten thousand men.
He marches them up to the top of the hill
And he marches them down again.

The zany antics of a highly undisciplined army are featured in this traditional English nursery rhyme. When the Grand old Duke of York orders his soldiers to march up or down the hill, they do his bidding, but, more often than not, they stop halfway up to do silly things such as knit overcoats for rocks, throw pies at each other or wrestle with grizzly bears. In fact, the soldiers are having so much fun that other people are clamoring to join the army (even the narrator’s mother!). The musical notation and the entire poem are printed at the back of the book.

Some readers will recognize the first verse of the poem, but the remaining verses, penned by the husband and wife team of Spicer and Thompson, will be new. The text has a definite marching rhythm, aptly suited to its subject matter. A bright red and white border on the cover, as well as the soldiers’ faces, are drawn in the style of a deck of playing cards. All of the illustrations are double-page spreads with side borders whose backgrounds, in keeping with the theme, are the four playing card suits. Readers will enjoy looking for humourous details in the illustrations.

Playful and fun!

Recommended.

Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian at Bird's Hill School in East St. Paul, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364 Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

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