From School Library Journal The farmer who starts singing the old familiar song has a dragon. At the mention of the giant beast, the traditional barnyard residents start complaining. The cow is first, “I’ve got a beef with you.” She threatens to leave if the dragon stays and is swallowed up by the fire-breathing creature. The pig, the sheep, and the dog meet the same fate. Up to this point, the farmer has defended his new addition, but losing the dog makes him confront the dragon, and he is also swallowed. Inside the beast’s stomach, the farmer and all the animals start a rousing chorus of “E-I-E-I-Os,” and they are all ejected. “‘Terrible tummy ache’, howled the dragon.” He takes off and leaves the farmer, the animals, and the song back in its standard form. There is a lot of clever wordplay here. After the dragon swallows the sheep, he quips, “Marvelous mutton.” The digitally created illustrations feature expressive faces and plenty of action. The background is light blue in all the scenes, but the pictures and the characters are varied in size throughout the story, which makes the journey fun. Children are sure to enjoy this amusing twist on the classic song.–School Library Journal Read more Review “Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.” That’s the beginning of the traditional verse in which farm animals are introduced, one by one. But when Farmer MacDonald acquires a dragon, all the farm animals are alarmed and disappear, one by one. Utah author Ken Baker gives a new twist to an old nonsense song with a sudden conclusion that will assuredly bring giggles and demands to “read it again!” The clever script is laced with puns, such as the cow having a “beef” with Old MacDonald, who retorts that the animal is “bull-headed.” Reading aloud is a must to catch the delicious alliterations in which the “dragon wilted its wings and waddled away,” or “With a lick of its lips and a flash of fire, it flapped its wings and flew away….” Flashy, bold, digitally rendered cartoon-like artwork captures the humor and carries the story through a fresh new version that will delight young listeners who may want to sing and act out the whole adventure. --Marilou Sorensen  Deseret News, October 6, 2012 Read more See all Editorial Reviews
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