And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon

Based on author/illustrator Janet Stevens and co-writer sister Susan Stevens Crummel's charming 2001 picture book And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon, which imagines what happens after the Dish runs away with the Spoon, this enhanced iconographic production, winsomely narrated by Stevens, features some animated segments plus additional original artwork. So, what happened at the end of "Hey Diddle Diddle"? Well, it turns out that the Cat with the Fiddle is quite concerned about the missing friends, even if the Little Dog isn't (initially), and the Cow is too tired from jumping over the moon to worry. Once bestirred by the Cat, however, the trio set out through nursery rhyme/fairy tale land to find the Dish and Spoon. With the punning level dead-on for the preschool through first grade audience (and, therefore, real groaners as far as adults are concerned), children will enjoy making the connections between this nursery rhyme and the allusions to other rhymes and tales. Highly recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Reagan)