Duncan Back-to-Back

Krystyna Higgins is the former book review editor for the Toronto-based
Catholic New Times.

This book is a package deal consisting of two stories and an
accompanying audiotape. “Zachariah & Mary Beth Dalton” is a pattern
story outlining the havoc wrought by two children while their mother is
out. The rambunctious pair jump on the furniture, throw things, play
with the stove, and make a huge mess with water and then with peanut
butter. Upon her return, their horrified mother sends them to their
room, “and that’s where they are today!” The tape presents the
story in song form, with a question-and-answer refrain enumerating the
kids’ cumulative misdemeanors and their mother’s likely response.

Flipping the book (and the tape) over brings us to “Sally the
Magnificent Cow” (unfortunately misspelled as “Magnificient” on
the glossy full-color cover). Discontented with her boring life in the
pasture, Sally follows her dream of going to school. Against her
mother’s advice, she pursues her ambition and eventually earns a
college degree! This time the tape provides a straightforward read-along
version of the story narrated by the author.

Black-and-white comic-strip-style pictures dot the text. Those in the
first story are appropriately “loud” and exaggerated. The
illustrations of Sally with her soulful eyes are quite delightful.

These are silly tales, performed on the tape with humor and energy. One
negative feature is their rather simplistic moral viewpoint. Though some
of the Dalton kids’ mischief reaches a dangerous level (playing with
fire), the only worry they seem to have is getting caught and sent to
their room, rather than any serious consequences resulting from their
actions. “Sally” is better, but marred by the cow’s concluding
“valedictory” in which she belabors the story’s obvious “follow
your dream” theme. Recommended with reservations.