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Ho, Minfong. 2004. PEEK! A THAI HIDE-AND-SEEK. Ill. by Holly Meade. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763620416
A Thai father is playing hide and seek with his baby daughter in the playful new picture book by award-winning author Minfong
Ho, lavishly illustrated by Holly Meade. The father asks each animal that he comes across whether or not it has seen his daughter
and the animals of Thailand emerge, as we play peek-a-boo with the father and his baby. Each animal is presented in a two-page
spread, with the sound that it makes and rhyming text. For example, the rooster says: "Eechy-eechy-egg, / eechy-eechy-egg"
while the father asks "Jut-Ay, peek-a-boo, / Red-tailed rooster, so it’s you! / Flap your wings in the cold
dawn air / Is my baby somewhere near?" My kindergarten classes were fascinated to learn that different cultures hear
and write animal sounds differently. Minfong Ho uses rhythm to go along with her rhyme to provide delightfully the sounds
of her language: when playing this game in Thailand, the phrase, "Jut-Ay" (pronounced shut-A), precedes the phrase,
"peek-a-boo." The repetition of the line, "Jut-Ay, peek-a-boo" provides continuity throughout the book
as well as enhancing the authentic feel
Holly Meade has illustrated the book with lush, vibrant colors that evoke a real feel for Thailand. She uses watercolors
and paper collage to brilliantly suggest the atmosphere of the jungle and to lavishly support the text. As we search for the
little girl while she hides in various locales, we get a feel for the flora and fauna of Thailand. The end papers are bright
orange with Thai script in red, providing an exotic feel to the book. PEEK! is a charming story-in-rhyme read-aloud, with
the rhythm of the language beautifully depicting the love of a father for his child.
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