When the bee sneezes, the cow catches his cold--``She caught the cough and the sniffle and the sneeze ah-choo, and it was odd because she caught the buzz...'Buzzzzz. Cough cough, sniffle sniffle, ah-choo!''' When the pig gets the cold, he gets the moo; the duck catches his oink, and the dog gets the duck's quack. And so on in this deliciously silly story--with clever new rhymes worked into each repetition of the tricky, catchy rhythm until a sensible rabbit stops the chain by covering his mouth. Then the farmer feeds them according to their new voices, causing even more dismay. There's a rousing denouement when the animals pass the word back, confront the bee, and learn where he got his cold. Grand for group sharing, and just right for dramatization or a puppet show. Meisel's lively, cartoony illustrations add to the fun, though--like the best of folklore--this wonderfully cadenced tale can stand on its own. (Picture book. 3-7)
