Preschool– When all the animals go on strike, Farmer Bill is in a “pack of wacky trouble.” But Daughter has an idea–if the animals won’t work, neither will her father. When they hear that he will not be feeding them that day, they all agree to do their jobs, except for Rooster. Farmer Bill concedes that he could get an alarm clock, but he’d sure miss Rooster’s “root-tooting.” Rooster, flattered, lets out a big crow. The earth-toned watercolor illustrations have a pointillistic appearance due to the use of dots for lines and shading. Their humorous style complements this simple farm story. A pleasant, cumulative read-aloud

In a well-crafted cumulative tale whose recalcitrant series recalls “The Old Woman and Her Pig,” Farmer Bill’s animals, one by one, go on strike–until his daughter points out that “If Rooster won’t crow…Cow won’t give milk,” etc., “…then you won’t feed the animals”–and there’s a sudden change of heart all around. Using his signature style–tiny black dots, color- saturated wash, sturdy figures, understated humor–Brown contributes attractive illustrations that will be especially effective for group sharing. (Picture book. 3-7)

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