PreS-Gr 2-A picture-book adaptation of the familiar childhood game featuring animal characters. Wolff's distinctive watercolor-and-pen art brings the lively chant to life. The title page shows Skunk taking cookies out of an oven, but by the first page of the story, the cookie jar is empty. Accompanied by Lizard, he ventures out into a desert landscape accusing, in turn, a number of animals of taking his baked goods. Each illustration provides a visual clue to which creature Skunk will approach next. A feather on the ground leads to Raven, and so on. The authors expand on the game by allowing each animal to respond with an alibi of sorts. For example, Beaver replies, "Who, me?/Couldn't be!/My favorite snack/Is sticks in a stack." Children will enjoy the challenge of solving the mystery and astute observers will notice the clues provided on the front cover and title page. In the happy ending, the culprit Ants invite all of the animals to share Skunk's cookies, and the baker himself doesn't seem to mind. This book includes instructions to play the circle game, and the music and guitar chords necessary to sing the song. Fun for storytimes and for one-on-one sharing.-Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
