The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Southwell, Jandelyn

The Little Country Town

32 pp. | Holt | January, 2001 | Trade ISBN 0-8050-5711-0 $$16.00

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kay Chorao. A gentle, rhyming text with a repeated refrain describes an idyllic rural area where nature sounds, scents, and sights lull the residents to sleep each night. Chorao's accomplished gouache artwork sets the scene, showing children picking wildflowers and swinging in the trees. Crickets, birds, and frogs are also featured in the illustrations, which work successfully with the text to create a harmonious vision of country life.

Reviewer: Anne St. John