Review: MY DOG, MY CAT by Ashlee Fletcher

Netgalley gave me a chance to read MY DOG, MY CAT and I have to say that I really like this little book.

The artwork is very clean and simple; the colors bright, cheerful and kid-friendly.  And I wish I could share some of the pages with you, but unfortunately what I got was the e-version so sample pages aren't possible this time.  (You can, however, go to Amazon.)

The narration is about a cat and a dog and how they are different in some ways, but alike in some ways too.  For example,

My dog's tongue is wet.

My cat's tongue is rough.

and my favorite!

My dog goes to the bathroom outside.

My cat goes to the bathroom inside.

The two pets are alike --should I spoil... yes!-- in that they both like pepperoni pizza, and they both like the child that is doing the narration.  (So cute.)

So I like the artwork.  I think it's very appealing.  And I like the text as it  gives us a chance to talk with little ones about differences and similarities; textures and activities.

Definitely worth a look.

Pam~


MY DOG, MY CAT
by Ashlee Fletcher

Reading Information:
Page Count: 32
no reading information currently available
--sample pages and reviews available

The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard by Gregory Rogers

*Starred* Review from Don, SLJ

There is normally no consistency in what I read, whether it be genre, age targeted, new, old, bad, good... I just read.

As such I have recently run across a number of wordless books; some for the younger set such as the one being reviewed here, and some for the older crowd.

One of the nice things about these wordless reads is that they are just as enjoyable for old geezers like myself as they are for the wee ones. This is certainly the case with The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard.


In this book, a little boy is kicking a soccer ball around the street in present day London. As often happens with little boys and sports balls of all makes, the ball ends up crashing through a window-- in this case the window of a very old theater. Needless to say our young delinquent athlete removes some boards from the windows and goes in search of his lost ball.

He ends up going into an old closet where he discovers costumes from an earlier age. He tries some on, finds the ball and then kicks it through a pair of curtains. Again, he gives chase.

BLAM! Our little guy finds himself on an open air stage in Elizabethan London in the middle of a play being directed by the Immortal Bard himself! [We see at this point that there is another side to Shakespeare...he has a temper! Thus the chase is on!]

The boy is pursued through the streets of Elizabethan London by the angry playwright. And along the way he picks up a bear he finds locked in a cage and the two proceed across London Bridge (the heads stuck on pikes are an added touch) and on to the Tower of London where they happen upon an unfortunate Baron awaiting the headman's block.

The boy and the bear help him escape. But as chance would have it when they jump on a barge on the River Thames it happens to be the Queen's own. The boy, the Baron and the bear are introduced to Elizabeth I, and she is smitten by the young Baron. They have a wonderful party. Suddenly Bill S. shows up again and the chase continues.

I won't go on as I do not want to spoil the story by giving away the ending. But I will say that the entire book is hilarious and does end happily and well.

Talking Points:::
The art work here, in particular the facial expressions of the main characters and the people met in the streets, are absolutely a delight. Each drawing --some as large as a full page; others quite small-- are executed perfectly, and absolutely no words are needed to tell this amusing tale.

I like this one as even small children will be able to figure out the story line with little or no problem. And at the same time it's entertaining for the older reader. too It allows both little and big imaginations to soar.

This is a fun book that is heavily used at the school and public library in our area. Kids seem to be fascinated with it ,and I have seen many older persons smirk and grin while going through it.

An while it may not be historically accurate, it is a wonderful way to introduce the small child to the works of Shakespeare and give a very nice history lesson at the same time, rather twisted and tweaked though it may be.

Now reader take note. There are aspects of this work that are pretty sophisticated and it might be wise to read this one with your child through the first time and give little words of explanation as to the context of the story.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard

• Accelerated Reading level : wordless
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (March 29, 2007)
• ISBN-10: 1596432675
• Take-a-Peek
• 

Related posts on Wordless Books:::

• The Babysitter
• The Lion and the Mouse
• South
  

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

I just read... no, make that viewed Jerry Pinkney's new book with my kids, and it is most wonderful. Wordless -- or nearly so, there are a few words like 'putt' and 'squeak'-- it retells the classic story of the "Lion and the Mouse" using fabulously detailed artwork done in watercolors and colored pencil.

The book itself is large and title-less. On the front is the beautiful golden lion, while on the back is the adorable (and heroic) little mouse. The author follows the traditional story very closely, only adding one additional detail for both of these creatures of the savanna. He gives them families. The mouse is a mama of a passel of little squeaks, and the lion is a daddy.



Talking Points :::
This is a gorgeous book. The light yellow tinted pages perfectly compliment the large, detailed drawings which are done in browns and golden hues. Exquisitely drawn, the images lie on the spectrum somewhere between realism and impressionism. The lion's eyes are so expressive. We all laughed at the face he made when holding the little mouse.

Without words, the book allows adults and children to choose their own vocabulary. The ultimate read aloud.

One thing you might consider is that artwork is so detailed that babies and even some toddlers might not like it. Which is to say that it's the opposite of the bright, simple art that you see in books dedicated to these youngsters. The pages essentially being 'too busy' for little eyes.

Jerry Pinkney's "Lion and the Mouse" would make a wonderful gift for preschoolers on up to Tweeners.

Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs


The Lion & the Mouse

Accelerated Reading level : not needed. It's wordless

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0316013560
• See-a-Sample
• 

"Lion and the Mouse" Practice Readers:::
Gail Herman, Bernadette Watts, Mark White

Related posts on Wordless Books:::

• The Babysitter
• The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard
• South

Ant, Ant, Ant! An Insect Chant by April Pulley Sayre with brilliant illustrations by Trip Park

In a previous review I suggested that perhaps my children and I didn't get into the swim of April Sayre's Trout, Trout, Trout: a fish chant because we weren't really fish people. We loved the artwork, which was fantastic and humorous, but the chant of Shad, Shad, Shad just didn't do much for us.

Well apparently that was true, for after two weeks with Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant we've fallen in love with the book. (Which I guess means we're buggy people.)

In fact, my two-- boy and girl; currently 7 and 9 -- have been pouring over Ant³ every chance they get, sometimes getting into a tussle over who is going to hold the book, or what page they should study. And despite the sometime raised voices, I couldn't be happier as the book is not only entertaining... it's EDUCATIONAL!

The lyrics in this book essentially serve to name the insects in a fashion that helps kids (and adults) to remember their names. (Here's an example.)

Cockroach,
Earwig.
Like them? Can't!

Firefly,
Flower Fly,
Ant,
Ant,
Ant!

I know they don't look like much printed out like this, but if you combine the chants with Trip Park's playful drawings they take on a life of their own. In fact, if you take a look at the picture below, you'll see what I mean. The artwork manages somehow to be both physically accurate and yet preposterous and funny.

And I know the book works as an educational tool because my daughter's already identified a Click Bug based on the picture and description. [This picture --graciously supplied to BFKr by the publisher and Mr. Park-- is one of my favorites. It's sans text if you're wondering.]



Wrap Up:::
An excellent book that can introduce young children to a broad range of insects. The chants name the critters, while the illustrations and the 4-page 'dictionary' make the book both fun and educational.

Both of my children are using the dictionary at the back to find out more about the insects. Here's what you'll find in the entry on Flower Flies: Flower flies, which are flies, are important pollinators. They feed on pollen and nectar. This is a great kid-friendly answer that's not overly detailed, but just right for youngsters.

Ms. Sayre also is wise enough to guess what questions are likely going to pop up in kids' heads. For example, about Earwigs: Earwigs don't hide in ears or wigs. These nocturnal plant-eaters hide in leaves, bark, and other crevices during the day. They pinch attackers with their two cerci or give off a stinky-smelling liquid.

Fear Factor: The insects aren't as sweetly goofy as some of the fish were. Some indeed seem a little menacing -- which my 7 year-old son thought was cool. That said, some toddlers and preschoolers might possibly be put off. You'll just have to test and see if the time is right.

The Accelerated Reading (wikipedia entry) designation for Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant is a generic "2" which means that the book is written on the 2nd Grade level, with no precise month assigned.