Word-Game Picture Books

(4) K-3 Following a presidential decree that "every animal has the RIGHT to play sports. 'That's RIGHT!'," a dozen-odd spreads describe various animals in athletic engagement: "The STEER tried to STEER his skateboard"; "The cougar makes an awful RACKET when she swings her RACKET"; etc. Although this basic introduction to homonyms lacks lyricism, it doesn't lack humor, thanks to Barretta's slapstick but not slapdash watercolors.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 After Annemarie defines compound word for her teacher, the girl imagines interpreting compounds part by part: an eggplant, for instance, would be a plant that grows eggs. Spacious graphic-novel panels invite readers to spend time with each of Brunetti's humorous illustrations. The two words that make each compound are highlighted in different colors, reinforcing the lesson and making it accessible to new readers.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Words Are Categorical series. Illustrated by Brian Gable. Here Cleary delineates between comparatives and superlatives ("Sometimes, you don't add e-r. / Instead, you reach for 'more'") and introduces palindromes ("word or number, sentence, phrase, or name / that--when it's read backward--is spelled and said the same."). Overly long, singsongy rhymes pair with energetic, unattractive cats careening across brightly colored backgrounds to illustrate the various phrases and words. Review covers these Words Are Categorical titles: Breezier, Cheesier, Newest, and Bluest and Madam and Nun and 1001.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Tohby Riddle. In the guise of the eponymous Word Snoop, Dubosarsky delivers a cursory, chatty tour of the evolution of the English language from ancient to modern times. She covers expected topics (spelling, punctuation) in addition to a potpourri of lesser-known tidbits; her enthusiasm for the intricacies and oddities of the English language is infectious. Pen-and-ink drawings help keep the lessons light. Glos.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo. In this third wordplay story (Take Away the A; Where's the Baboon?), each spread poses a question, with the answer cleverly nested within; for instance, the answer to "Who is playing frisbee?" is revealed--through different-colored text and the wry illustration--to be a bee. Throughout the humorous beach scenes, a girl searches for her trumpet, leading readers to a surprisingly sweet conclusion.

Reviewer: Minh Lê

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Maria Tina Beddia. This wacky alphabet book begins with "A is for Aisle" and gets crazier from there. "M is for Mnemonic" but "N is not for Knot," and it's the one time where "X is for Xylophone" actually works! Under each digitally colored ink picture, a related silly sentence includes other words containing the silent letter. Perfect for highlighting how weird the English language can be.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(1) K-3 In this cross between quest story and concept book, Little i boards a boat appropriately shaped like a question mark to find its missing dot. The protagonist lands on an island full of wonders (and punctuation) and eventually becomes Big I. Bright digitally compiled collages of painted- and cut paper create dramatic backgrounds. The roles of symbols and letters beautifully become part of the story's action.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(2) PS "Where do you look for glasses? On a shelf? Or on a face?" This introduction to homonyms pairs its series of questions with generously patterned collage artwork that has an inviting homespun feel, like a patchwork quilt. The book's warmth and cheerfulness impart the message that it's not just toys that can be played with--words can be played with, too.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2013

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Wendell Minor. An exuberant narrator explains what letters are ("Each letter has a name, wonderful and strange") and how they're used ("You can shuffle them around to make loads of mighty words"). Johnston furnishes scads of examples--"Roll them in your mouth like lollipops. / Clunk. Acrobat. Trout. Quesadilla. Flibbertigibbet"--that Minor brings to lyrical life in animal-studded fantastical scenes.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Playing with Words series. Each book opens with a brief definition of the focal word type, then provides occasionally substantive but often bland sample sentences with the relevant words called out in bold (e.g., "I take a ride in a plain plane" in Homophones). Bright, relevant stock photos accompany the texts and occasionally aid in decoding. There are six other fall 2016 books in this series. Reading list. Review covers the following Playing with Words titles: Cupcakes for My Birthday, I See the Sea, Mom, Pop, and Tot, Doctor by Day, Ninja by Night, In and Out, and Smelly, Stinky Skunk.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 With large panels and legible font, this picture-book graphic novel is a silly mystery combining clever alliterative wordplay with appealing characters and gentle humor. The animal PIs of Gumshoe Zoo, drawn in pencil and digitally colored, help sleep-eating panda Betty realize her own culpability in the alleged burglary of her bakery. Back matter explains the (effectively used) device of alliteration and provides trivia about animal eating habits.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 The Great Aziz and his hard-working (and under-appreciated) assistant, Zaza, engage in alphabetical one-upsmanship. Aziz turns Zaza's wig into a pig, Zaza turns Aziz's hat into a bat, and so on. Swirly, loose-lined gouache and ink illustrations complement the high-energy rivalry, and letter changes are clearly highlighted in red. Teachers could use this as a springboard for their own classroom word games.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lynn Rowe Reed. The prefixes (depicted in collage illustrations in clay, paint, and colorful pipe cleaners) are excited because their teacher had "promised to REview PREfixes today." When he arrives at school dressed as President Lincoln, though, the prefixes worry that they have been forgotten. The silly speech-bubble dialogue and overall likability of the prefix characters carry the day; the endpapers include a prefix refresher course.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. Double-page spreads feature random characters speaking in "wumbers" ("Would you like some honey 2 swee10 your tea?" "Yes, that would be 1derful"). This might strike readers as more innovative if they weren’t already replacing syllables with numbers in their text messages, but the humor of Lichtenheld's cartoon illustrations is likely to grab their attention. Exaggerated facial expressions offer picture clues that are even more fun to decode.

Reviewer: Kathleen T. Horning | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012

(3) PS Illustrated by Jennifer Yerkes. "Red light, green li-" reads a dozen-odd right-hand pages; turning the page reveals the concluding letters to each "li-": “-on” (a dapper green lion prepares to cross the street), "-ghtning!" (lightning spooks the lion), etc. Will the lion ever get across the street? An omniscient narrator ("Some days are not like most days") walks readers through this suspenseful word game, tastefully illustrated with pastel and brush-pen line art.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Lexie, an unusual rancher, keeps words in line until an upstart rustler causes trouble. This clever picture book plays with how words might manifest their meanings if physically altered: helpful Lexie turns a "pest" into "pets," whereas the bandit turns "bandanas" into "bananas." Alongside the puns, anagrams, and banter, Hartland adds a folksy touch with her loose gouache illustrations. Glos.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dave Whamond. In this energetic interactive book, readers learn how words are connected and can transform into others by changing one letter at a time ("A house might become a mouse / and then a moose"). The changed letter is highlighted in red in each word ladder; cartoonlike illustrations cleverly and comically depict the transformations. Additional activities are appended. A useful, engaging classroom tool.

Reviewer: Kari Allen