Old Macdonald’s Things That Go
Reviewed By Grasshopper2 March 28, 2016
Author Jane Clark, illustrated by Migy Blanco

Distributor: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 9780857634061
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Release Date: February 2016
Website: http://www.allenandunwin.com
FaceBook:
YouTube:
Instagram:
X formally Twitter:
This is Old Macdonald in a picture Book, but with a difference. This farmer loves things that GO! On the front cover we see a tractor, a train, a windmill and a cart. The title page shows cars, buses, diggers and a bus. On the first double spread, we see Old Macdonald with a banjo, singing, and obviously inviting us to join in. There are plenty of animals with him, some carrying musical instruments and again inviting us to sing along. The words fit into the tune we all know, mostly,
“Old Macdonald had a farm.
He loved things that go”
This is a boisterous book, not bedtime reading, but one to enjoy with all the family and friends. The combination of moving mechanical things and animals is well illustrated with plenty to see on each double spread page. When you turn the page there is a new piece of equipment, with illustrations to show how that tractor or machine can be used for a variety of farming purposes. Sometimes the animals drive, and it is not unusual to see chooks driving a speed boat.
The illustrations are big and brightly coloured, adding enormously to the fun and chaos of the page. There are so many things here to count, or name, or admire, that it will take a long time to come to the end of the song and the book.
The text is a good size, with emphasised words in a larger font. The humour in the pictures is worth many smiles as we watch pigs on bikes, a cow on a unicycle, and sheep wheeling wheelbarrows. This would be a wonderful addition to any home Library.