OH, CRUMPS!/¡AY CARAMBA!
by Lee Bock & illustrated by Morgan Midgett & translated by Eida de la Vega
Beautiful illustrations—humorous, busy, matte-surfaced, revealing the canvas texture of the original acrylic paintings—highlight this twisting account of a farmer’s attempt to get a good night’s sleep. Before he can nod off, the young goats start bleating after having been left out. When farmer Felandro goes out to pen them up, he accidentally wakes the dogs, which wait until he returns to bed to begin howling. Each attempt to get some peace and quiet creates another reason for noise, providing children with a series of pleasurable instances of repetition and predictability. Besides the humor provoked by Felandro’s grumbling, children will also enjoy the way he continually confuses tomorrow’s tasks as he tries to settle down—does he milk the cow or the silo? Does he mow the hay or the fence? Both Spanish and English texts flow smoothly and may even introduce a few unfamiliar farm terms to some readers. Midgett’s illustrations are reminiscent of Joe Cepeda’s rowdy, good-humored style and serve to prove useful at story time and in farm units for primary-grade students. (Picture book. 4-8)