Old Mother Hubbard and Her Wonderful Dog

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 29 AVR. 1991

In Marshall's hands, Old Mother Hubbard's perambulations on her pet's behalf--to the cupboard, the baker, the undertaker, the fishmonger and elsewhere--constitute anything but a pedestrian outing. They set the scene for a riotously colorful parade of costumes and outrageous posturing as the characters assume whatever personae best suit the verse of the moment. The dog is particularly flamboyant and grand, appearing, variously, as a turbaned sultan, a kilted Scotsman doing a solemn jig and a bereted flutist in a quartet. A myriad of shamelessly silly background details (``You'll quiver for our liver,'' promises a placard at the butcher's) multiplies the fun. Ages 3-up.