Do Donkeys Dance? - 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.

PreSchool-K-Walsh is at it again-this time focusing on different activities and just who can (and can't) perform them. The basic format remains the same as in Do Pigs Have Stripes? (1996) and Do Monkeys Tweet? (1997, both Houghton). Seemingly straightforward questions are guaranteed to prompt giggles and denials from young listeners. "Do pigs buzz around flowers?/No, bees buzz around flowers." Illustrations are chunky and charming, and set on brightly colored backgrounds. The simple text is repetitive enough that young listeners will catch on to the pattern right away, but varied enough that it does not become tedious. The author answers every question but the last in the negative-but she manages to sneak some surprises in along the way. "Do hippos hop?" is followed not by the expected rabbit but by a tiny flea, and where some readers might expect to find some ducks ("Do chickens swim underwater?"), Walsh offers fish instead. Add to this the charming subtlety of never answering the title question in words but including a visual clue on the title page, and adults will realize that this deceptively simple silliness is well thought out and perfectly executed. Kids won't care about these details, though; they'll be too busy having fun.
Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
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