Shannon Cartwright's colored pencil Alaskan animal illustrations complement Shelly Gill's poems beautifully. These poems are written in a Mother Goose Nursery Rhyme style and tell a singsong story about the different kinds of animals that one would find in the Alaskan wild. This book was published in Alaska and have teachers lesson plan notes and a glossary in the back to define the animals and plants mentioned in the poems. Kids should like it because it is not the same thing they have always heard in the past, yet it has familiar rhythms and patterns.

Summary
This book is a book filled with familiar Mother Goose Rhymes, yet they all have an Alaskan Twist to them. This book cover rhymes from Hey Diddle Diddle to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star they just all have a little piece of Alaska added to them.

Personal Reaction
I really liked the book and how it used familiar nursery rhymes, yet added some culture and things that people see or experience in Alaska. My grandmother bought the book for my daughter when she went to Alaska and since we will never be able to go it is a nice look into some things they have there.

Classroom Extension
1. you could read the classroom some Mother Goose nursery rhymes and then read a few out of the book and see if the children can identify which ones they are.
2. You can read the children the Mother Goose rhyme and have them illustrate them then read them the Alaska version and illustrate it to and compare their pictures. ( )

http://talesofarampaginglibrarian.blogspot.com/2006/12/for-picture-books-that-re... ( )