Wordplay

Praiseworthy

This playful graphic novel for early readers offers an entertaining lesson in some quirks of the English language.

In a lighthearted exploration of compound words, New Yorker artoonist Brunetti introduces a classroom of schoolchildren, rendered with the round heads and flattened perspectives that characterize his artwork. After receiving a homework assignment to create a list of compound words, a girl with a hair bun and eyeglasses delights in imagining the possibilities behind these verbal mashups. Thereas a six-handed handyman with another hand for his head, a ballroom filled with dancing sports equipment, and even an alternative definition for grasshopper: aYou mean like a rabbit?a she asks her father. Colored type underscores the concept (for abedtime, a abeda is red, and atimea is blue), and the girlas quiet pride in discovering compound words is as enjoyable as her loopy interpretations. Brunetti buoyantly conveys the joy of diving into newly acquired knowledge and the idea that learning and play arenat mutually exclusive. Ages 4a 8. (May) Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

K-Gr 2--The fun begins with the title--Wordplay--a compound word for a book about compound words. Annemarie and her classmates work on their assignment to compile lists of compound words. "How about housework?" asks a boy. "YES!" responds the teacher as Annemarie quietly giggles, imagining cheery houses vacuuming and dusting. Each new word conjures up another humorous imagining--two boys playing catch with a foot (football) or a calendar page taking a nap (daydream). Brunetti's cartoon art is rendered in a modern, intentionally naive style--largely two-dimensional, with a childlike simplicity that will resonate with the book's audience. Panels vary in size but are symmetrical and clearly delineated by white borders. Word bubbles are white with simple black text. Compound words appear in red. In addition, children of many races and ethnicities are prominently featured. As with all of the publisher's offerings, this work contains tips for sharing comics with kids and is labeled with grade, Lexile, guided reading, and reading recovery levels. VERDICT An amusing language arts lesson in a comic book format, perfect for individual or small group sharing. What's not to love?--Lisa Taylor, Jacksonville Public Library, FL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.