Each Peach Pear Plum    by Janet Ahlberg & Allan Ahlberg Order:  USA  Can Penguin, 1999 (1978) Hardcover, Paperback      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Each Peach Pear Plum is a picture book classic, whose charms parents can enjoy along with small children. It shares with the recent movie Shrek a mish-mash of familiar childhood characters (from nursery rhyme and fairytale) ... Tom Thumb, Mother Hubbard, Cinderella, the Three Bears, Baby Bunting, Bo-Peep, Jack and Jill, the Wicked Witch, and Robin Hood. It also has that characteristic of the best of picture books, of allowing the child to be pulled into participation with the reader. In this case the mechanism is an 'I spy' line at the end of each page - 'I spy the Wicked Witch' - which also connects the current theme with the next one. The illustrations help the magic along. They are rich in detail, with a touch of humor. The character in hiding shows just enough for little ones to pick them out with glee, and there is a happy ending with a picnic party for all. The book begins ... 'In this book / With your little eye / Take a look / And play "I spy"' The magic of Each Peach Pear Plum, and of all the fairytales and nursery rhymes that it pulls in, should be a part of every childhood. It's a joy for all ages. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews