Do Pigs Have Stripes? - Hardcover

After studying at the Harrow School of Art and the Royal College of Art, Melanie Walsh worked as a textile designer before writing and illustrating children’s books. In addition to receiving many fine reviews, she won the Parents Choice Gold Award for Do Pigs Have Stripes? Melanie lives in London and has two young twin sons.

In this playful animal name-game, first-time picture book author Walsh poses obvious but entertaining questions and answers sure to elicit giggles from the preschool set. Each sequence requires two spreads: the first displays just a bit of a mystery beast ("Does a bird have a big black wet nose?"), and the turn of a page provides a complete picture of the animal ("No, a dog does."). Walsh varies the queries slightly to avoid repetition ("Are these the feet of a pussycat?... No, they belong to an elephant."), and just as readers get used to answering "No," the volume's final question ("Does a giraffe have a long thin neck?") takes an affirmative response. Walsh favors solid colors, visible brush strokes and a minimum of detail; an alligator's saw-edged green tail brightens against a complementary deep-red backdrop. Such bold, basic images can be seen at a distance, and the hand-printed black lettering is large enough to display to a reading group. Walsh's words and pictures demonstrate considerable wit, despite the simplicity of their presentation. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.