The Old Animals' Forest Band

This tale is a version of a traditional narrative involving repetition as successive characters join the main one. A dog is thrown out by his master because he no longer barks at strangers, wanders off and is soon joined by a cow (no more milk), a donkey (too slow) and a rooster (too old to tell day from night). They come upon a hut in the middle of the forest. It’s night and they’re frightened, but as they peep in through a crack in the roof (by standing on top of one another of course), they see a gang of thieves counting out their gold. The dog decides they can scare them off by singing and it seems to do the trick. The animals enjoy their ‘singing’ so much they decide to call themselves the Old Animals’ Forest Band. Note the apostrophe – it’s there at the end of the book but mysteriously missing on the cover. I have doubts about whether this book will hold much visual appeal for young readers. It’s distinctive and very stylised, but not particularly attractive. Some of the illustrations are puzzling in an unsettling way and don’t seem to relate to the text, affecting enjoyment of the narrative. So not a particularly satisfying or engaging read.