The Ballad of the Blue Bonnet

Elizabeth St Jacques is the author of Echoes All Strung Out and
Survivors: The Great Depression, 1929-1939.

Those familiar with Robert Priest’s work know only too well how
strongly he believes in passing along things no longer of use to their
owners. Therefore, it’s not surprising that this little ballad for the
very young concerns recycling.

Priest recycles “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” for this poem, in which
little Billy’s baby bonnet goes “round / From town to town / From
baby to baby to baby to baby / In the baby-go-around.” Each time the
bonnet is given to another baby, it is accompanied by other
things—booties, bib, receiving gown—with the list of recycled gifts
growing longer and longer.

The poem’s sing-song rhythms, heartwarming images (e.g., “A cradle
and a dreidel / And a little night-light”), and fun repetitions, along
with Debi Perna’s lifelike yet dreamy illustrations of bright-eyed
babies with rosebud mouths, make for a delightful book. Children will
quickly learn this ballad and include it among their favorite songs; to
make it doubly easy for them, the book comes with a charming audio
performance by The Teds on cassette.

While The Ballad of the Blue Bonnet is great entertainment, it also
teaches young children not to waste, and conveys subtle messages of
sharing and caring that are especially important. A wonderful book.
Highly recommended.