Mary Ann Fraser 

Listen!...
The musicians are tuning their instruments, from the cat on the fiddle to the mouse on the harp. The rhino is warming up to sing. The conductor is tapping with his baton. Hey diddle diddle, it's time for music!

REVIEWS

Bunting is perhaps best known for her skirmishes with heavy weather—racism, riots, homelessness, war—but that is not to deny her talent for pure whimsy, and that is what she delivers here. “Hey diddle diddle, the cat plays the fiddle,” starts the classic, tomfool nursery rhyme. Enter the cow, but it’s not jumping over the moon, it “plays the silver trombone.” Then Bunting starts over, with a twist: “Hey diddle dum, the whale bangs the drum, / the seal’s on the big saxophone”; “Hey diddle dumpet, the camel blows trumpet, / the elephant’s awesome on bass.” Fraser’s accompanying artwork is cheery and saturated, the colors running from cool to hot, and the animals presented in comical two-page spreads, some discombobulated, some hep cats—sunglasses, a fez—even when they aren’t cats. Then a young boy enters the picture, and there is a radical shift in perspective, a drawing back to show that the animals are part of a music-box band ensemble, a richly populated, wind-up toy orchestra that’s as visually playful as a fancy birthday cake. Not the least of the music made here will be in a sing-along read-aloud, with accompanying guffaws to mark the time. (Picture book. 2-5) Kirkus

Starting with the first line of the well-known nursery rhyme, this story introduces a group of animals that play musical instruments. At the beginning of the book, they appear to have only one fan–a bluebird that follows them from page to page, until a boy shows up on the scene. His interaction with the band comes as a surprise, but he holds the key to an important secret about the animals. Variations of the phrase “Hey diddle diddle” appear throughout; for example, “Hey diddle dumpet,/the camel blows trumpet” and “Hey diddle darp, the mouse plays the harp.” Rendered in acrylics, the lively cartoon illustrations appear against vivid backgrounds of purple, yellow, blue, and pink. While the pig and camel are dressed up, the seal and whale look more natural. Catchy rhymes encourage children to imagine the different sounds these instruments make and to appreciate what happens when the dog strikes up the band.–Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada School Library Journal