Market Day

Lois Ehlert used her own collection of folk art to accompany her lovely rhyming text about going to market. The first scene of a wooden Guatemalan rooster and chickens appliqued on a Colombian cloth field is charming. Unfortunately, too many of the scenes feel crammed with art, and even the balanced pages present a visual dilemma for children. Because the illustrations are photographs of authentic but unrelated folk objects, nothing is in proportion to each other.

MARKET DAY makes an important contribution by presenting folk art to young children. The explanation of origins and materials used, however, probably will fascinate grown-ups more than kids. Children will be disappointed by the lack of main characters, unless they notice the four repeating clay Mexican figurines, which often are hard to find.