HILDA MUST BE DANCING

Kevin R. Free has fun with the onomatopoeia of Hilda’s dance moves, and he gives a voice to her animal friends--raspy monkey, deep-voiced rhinoceros, echoey water buffalo--but the narrator’s voice is the best. Free has superb pacing and uses Wilson’s charming, simple verse to create a smooth and joyful story for new readers to follow easily, learning words and sounds at just the right pace. The reader doesn’t even need the book to create the story in the mind’s eye. Free ably brings the playfulness and light-hearted rhymes of Wilson’s book to life. Wilson’s books are perfect for young listeners, and Free’s easygoing style adds to the bouncy beat. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]