In the second book of the Jo MacDonald series, Old MacDonald's granddaughter Jo and her cousin Mike plant and tend a vegetable garden. Adapting the familiar "E I E I O" song to the new theme, Quattlebaum's rhyming verses lend themselves to sing-along sessions. Endearing ink-and-watercolor illustrations show the garden's progress as Jo and Mike dig, plant, water, and, finally, pick tomatoes and squash. Meanwhile, seven critters arrive to share the garden. Discussing the plants and animals illustrated and suggesting outdoor activities related to gardens, the informative back matter rounds out this amiable picture book.

This story takes the "Old MacDonald" song to the garden, where Jo and her cousin Mike plant seeds, tend a vegetable and flower patch, and provide a homegrown salad for their grandfather, Old MacDonald. Though the text, like the song, can become tedious, readers' interest may be sustained by the book's challenge to search the lively illustrations for specific animals and plants.

Quattlebaum and Bryant follow up their successful Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond (2011) with new lyrics to the same song, while keeping the nature focus. This time, Jo MacDonald and her cousin Mike make a garden. From digging the earth and planting the seeds, to watering, harvesting and enjoying the "fruits" of their labors, the two care for their garden habitat and the animals that visit it. Readers can tend their own imaginary gardens along with the pair, as the illustrations and text suggest motions to accompany the familiar tune. Careful observers can track the new plants and animals that arrive with each page turn and read more about them in the backmatter, which also includes some garden facts and tips, comprehension questions, activity extension ideas and a list of resources for gardening information specifically geared toward children. Bryant's watercolors reflect a childlike enthusiasm. While her whole-garden view allows readers to track the animals and plants that accumulate throughout the song, this also makes it difficult to spy the smallest ones. Second in the series, this title is not quite as strong as the first. The two-syllable "garden" slightly mars the rhythm of the song, while the verses are not as easy to predict, making it harder for audiences to sing along. Still, this is likely to be a popular spring and garden story time choice. Get out the seed catalogs. (Picture book. 3-7)

PreS-Gr 2 To the reworking of the familiar song, the author has brought the four seasons of a garden to life. Jo, the redheaded granddaughter of Old MacDonald, and her friend Mike enjoy the outdoors and the work of planting a wildlife-friendly garden. The dirt flies from the shovel "with a dig-dig here, and a dig-dig there," and the kids flap their arms like a bird's wings, "with a flit-flit here, and a flit-flit there." The observant eye will find seven wild creatures enjoying the garden, and careful readers will read the plant labels and find the seven that are featured. Two concluding pages identify the flora and fauna and suggest relevant indoor activities, such as drawing a picture of the sunflower, planting a seed, and naming the four vegetables Jo and Mike planted. Pretty to look at, easy to sing along to, and a nice introduction to wildlife-habitat creation. Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA