Continuing with their successful Words Are Categorical series, Cleary and Gable (Under, Over, by the Clover: What Is a Preposition?, 2002, etc.) use humorous cats to illuminate another part of speech in this fifth entry in the series. Cleary has clearly got the formula down for effectively explaining a potentially boring subject through a bouncy rhyming text filled with puns and jokes that will appeal to kids. He manages to define adverbs and their multiple uses, provide a wide variety of examples in context, and even contrast the use of the adjective “good” versus the adverb “well” (with the obligatory pun about well being a deep subject). Gable’s cartoon-style cats are shown cavorting in sunglasses and hats, riding bikes and skateboards, or flying through the air in superhero style. Each page uses a different shade of background color in appealing hues that contrast with the colorful cats. The typeface is a jazzy style that suits the format well, with the many adverbs printed in a contrasting bright shade. Though targeting students in upper-elementary classrooms, this series will also be used by clever English teachers in junior high or high school or by ESL teachers. Ruth Heller’s stellar series on the parts of speech remains the gold standard on the subject, but more kids will connect with Cleary and Gable’s cool cats. (Nonfiction. 8+)
