WHILE MAMA HAD A QUICK LITTLE CHAT

This story, told in lightly rhymed verse, will resonate with any child left to her own devices while a parent has "a quick little chat" on the phone. Little Rose entertains a band, a magician, a catering service, and many guests while Mama talks on and on. ("It's hard to believe but Rose did all that/ Before mama finished her quick little chat," goes the refrain.) Kate Forbes does a good job characterizing the variety of visitors Rose meets while Mama's otherwise engaged; Forbes keeps the rhythms of the poetry intact but not at the expense of the story. Children will enjoy hearing this familiar situation taken to a whimsical extreme. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]