How did Old MacDonald end up having his farm? Readers will be delighted to learn the humorous backstory in The Man Who Didn’t Like Animals by Deborah Underwood with pictures by LeUyen Pham. Our protagonist is a man alone in his tidy apartment with a strong distaste for animals. However, one day, a cat appears on his stoop with a “Meow!” The man tries to shoo the cat away, however, the cat stays. The cat joins the man in the sunny spot in his living room, and eats at precisely 6 p.m., just like the man enjoys.

The man allows the cat to stay with him. But then another cat appears, and then a dog appears, and another dog.  Neighbors watch warily as the man collects more and more animals, obviously enjoying the creatures’ company after such a lonesome time. But, then goats start to appear, and cows, and pigs; with a “Oink, Oink” here and a, “Moo, Moo,” there. The neighbors are visibly fed up with the noise in the apartment complex. “This is not a farm,” says the neighbor, “I thought you didn’t like animals,” says another. And so the man looks at the animals and sadly sends them out the door. As he looks at the empty food bowls in his apartment (with names that start with E’s and I’s and O’s) his heart cannot bear the idea of being without them. He runs to the animals and moves to the countryside to create… Old MacDonald’s Farm.

With darling illustrations, the perfect amount of words, and a mix of old-and-new storyline, this book easily earns a five-star rating. Readers will love finding the animals in the end pages and other Old MacDonald clues throughout the entire book. The protagonist has dark skin, which might be the first Black representation of Old MacDonald that I’ve seen in a picture book thus far. Best for ages 4-7.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath