The Animals Went in Two by Two
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Cover Story
This issue's cover illustration is from David Almond's The Fire Eaters. Cover photograph is by Getty Images. David Almond is interviewed by Peter Hollindale. Thanks to Hodder Children's Books for their help with this September cover.
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The Animals Went in Two by Two
We all know the song: the animals went in two by two. So what does Pienkowski add to it? Well, we can make the ark rock side to side, the monkey pop out of the crate of bananas, the pig fly, and the tortoise swim. And while we're doing that we can sing the song (the music is on the back cover) and count the animals. The counting can be a challenge, because you have to turn wheels and open flaps to find the animals. There are nice little details to absorb interest: Mrs Noah hangs on the washing line a pair of horseshoes, some gloves to fit a crab's claws, spotty socks for webbed feet... who could they all belong to? The eight by eight animals peer into the water and you can see their reflections, and you can pair these up. A rich book, worthy of repeated readings.