THE GRUMPY MORNING

When the farmer oversleeps, it's not her alarm clock that awakens her, but a cacophony of grumpy barnyard animals. It starts with the cow, in sore need of milking. She's quickly joined by the famished dog, the starving goat, and the hungry hog. Other animals need breakfast, too. The orange cat even joins the parade in hopes of getting a hug. With all the animals crowded around her, the farmer wakes up to nuzzles and licks. She hurries to do the neglected chores, and completes the discombobulated morning with a big hug for her cat. Labrosse's sunny drawings match Edward's happy rhyme and its amiable female lead; the only aspect that may be off is the title--the players are never discontented enough to qualify as really, truly grumpy.