This nursery rhyme / folktale mashup is laugh out loud funny. “Mrs. Greenbaum lived in a shoe / with her thirteen kids and her husband Lou.” Twelve boys and a baby create a lot of commotion in this “Size 113” shoe house. “…the husband kvetched from day to night, ‘Oy vey it’s loud and much too tight.’” Mrs. Greenbaum wisely sends her husband to see the rabbi next door, whose own house is (appropriately) composed entirely of books. The rabbi advises Lou to bring home two chickens, setting up the remainder of the story as a rhyming version of the folktale Too Much Noise. The well-written text is full of humor and energy, with a sprinkling of Yiddish that adds to the fun. Colorful animated illustrations deftly portray the growing chaos inside the shoe with a jumble of line, shape and color. Physical and facial expressions are broadly comedic with characters who threaten to jump off the page. A silly and clever take on an old favorite.
Recommended for ages 5 – 8.
