Hickory Dickory Dock
Written and illustrated by Kevin Baker
Harcourt Children's Books; $16.00
32 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0152058180

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

Everyone knows the familiar nursery rhyme about the mouse that ran up the clock. Sure, the clock struck one, but what happened when the clock struck two, three, four? Kevin Baker's new picture book Hickory Dickory Dock is a lively adaptation of the traditional nursery rhyme that's a great choice for young readers and new readers.

Kevin Baker, a veteran children's book author (Big Fat Hen, Quack and Count, and Little Green), retells the original verse, only when the clock strikes one, instead of the mouse running down, it's time for fun! Subsequent verses continue the count until midnight in keeping with the same rhyme scheme: "Hickory dickory dock, a bird sang to the clock. The clock struck two… away she flew! Hickory dickory dock."

Baker's Hickory Dickory Dock, in addition to being a fun story to share with kids, doubles as a great tool for reinforcing counting as well as introducing the concept of telling time. Ah, stealth learning -- what's not to love? The tall grandfather clock has a large, clearly numbered face and clock hands that mark out each hour. The hour is also highlighted in a color in the text, helping children make the association between the numeral, the word that represents the numeral, and the corresponding place on a clock face. Baker's illustrations also reflect the passage of time from one o'clock until midnight: the sky begins to darken as the afternoon ticks on and the moon rises as the hours grow later, leading to a sweet and low-key conclusion that makes the book a good choice for naptime and bedtime reading.

The writing itself is well done; no forced rhyme or awkward phrasing here, the text is always in synch with the original Hickory Dickory Dock. Baker's is a natural expansion of the rhyme. Books like this in which a well-known story or rhyme is elaborated on always run the risk of going over the heads of some young kids, but with Hickory Dickory Dock, it's done in such a way that the original rhyme is intact and built upon, rather than satirized or turned on it's ear.

The Adobe Photoshop illustrations are simple and clear, very colorful and identifiable for young readers. Kids will easily recognize these familiar barnyard and forest animals, from a rabbit, snake, and bees to a porcupine, horse, and donkey. The little mouse, instead of running away, stays on the clock hour after hour, interacting with the other animals and closing out the story at midnight, bringing it full circle nicely.

Throughout the book, the rhyme for each hour stops at "the clock struck…" and then the action is revealed on the next page. It maintains some great suspense for kids, and gives them the opportunity to guess what happens next before you turn the page, supporting more interaction between parents and kids than just a straight reading of a story book. My own toddler wanted to read the book again as soon as we finished it the first time and even my preschooler wanted to take it to bed with her, and so it's safe to say that Hickory Dickory Dock was a huge hit, at least with this small focus group of readers.