Down by the Cool of the Pool - Hardcover

Tony Mitton has written many wonderful books for children, including DINOSAURUMPUS!, DOWN BY THE COOL OF THE POOL, SPOOKY HOUR, FARMER JOE AND THE MUSIC SHOW, and ALL AFLOAT ON NOAH'S BOAT, all published by Orchard Books, as well as PLUM, published by Arthur A. Levine Books. Mr. Mitton lives in Cambridge, England, with his wife and two children.

Guy Parker-Rees has illustrated many bestselling Orchard books, including K IS FOR KISSING A COOL KANGAROO and THE CHIMPANZEES OF HAPPYTOWN by Giles Andreae; DOWN BY THE COOL OF THE POOL, DINOSAURUMPUS!, and ALL AFLOAT ON NOAH'S BOAT by Tony Mitton; QUIET! by Paul Bright; and THE HIPPO-NOT-AMUS by Tony and Jan Payne. He lives in Brighton, England.

The sun may be setting, but the wackiness is escalating on the shores of the farm pond. "Meeeee!" proclaims a wide-eyed frog as it jet6s into the air, 'Can you dance Re me?' A duck, a pig and a sheep are the first animals to rise to the challenge, and Mitton (Busy Boats), building up the momentum, begins by patterning their respective responses in cumulative verse. As more and more critters join in, each proud of its own inimitable style ("Playful Pony began to prance. Donkey drummed his hoof beat dance"), Mitton shifts the narrative's structure to move the action resolutely forward toward a literally splashy climax, in which everyone falls in the water. Parker-Rees (Giraffes Can't Dance) ratchets up the goofiness of his kinetic watercolor cartoons by giving his animal stars the arm and leg extensions of ballerinas but the bodies of couch potatoes; their faces radiate an infectious silliness. The typography, too, enters into the spirit by shimmying and bouncing through the full-bleed spreads. Kids will likely want to dance or chant along; fortunately, the author and artist wind down the energy as effectively as they turn it up.--Publishers Weekly, April 15th, 2002

A wacky romp of a tale, full of simple and buoyant verse and accompanied by electrically jazzy artwork, of a barnyard of creatures cutting it up down by the old waterhole. A jiving frog wants to know who can dance like him, and pretty much each animal on the farm takes up his offer. "I can dance too. / But not like you. / I can flap," says the duck. The pig also displays some fancy footwork, as does the sheep and the dog and the cat and a company of others. After each animal shows their moves, there is a cumulative run through of all those that went before. Finally they all roll-"With a bump and a slip / and a trip and a crash / and a Whoops! Watch out!' / and a topple and a splash"-in a tumble down into the cool of the pool where they keep up the frugging until a sunset worthy of Peter Maxx encourages them to rest their feet. The text is as bouncy as the critters, swooping up and down and highlighting the "flap," the "wiggle," the "stamp," and the "Wheeee!" A slice of tomfoolery, suitable to be read as a song, giving the action the kind of chipper and carefree spin it begs for.--Kirkus Reviews

Down by the cool of the pool, Frog cries, "Wheeeee! Can you dance like me?" This is the invitation for a lively day by the water. Joining Frog are Duck, Pig, Sheep, Cat, Dog, Goat, Pony, Donkey, and Cow, all cavorting around the pond and each doing its own dance. This frolicking mass of animals eventually tumbles into the water with a mighty splash. Are they upset? No, they just turn the soaking into a party. This is an enjoyable summertime book, packed with delightful inhabitants and bright, energetic colors. Parker-Rees's spreads radiate the yellow heat of the sun, while the one picture with all the critters in the pool is done in a cooling blue. The often-alliterative descriptions of the animals sound wonderful, but can trip the unpracticed tongue. The rhyme and illustrations combine so joyfully that storytime listeners will want to get up and dance, too.--School Library Journal