Marzollo and MacDonald collaborate for their second rebus creation (I Love You: A Rebus Poem, 2000), this time with a story that follows a group of children preparing for a traditional church Nativity pageant. The simple rebus pattern repeats on each left-hand page, with symbols, letters, and numerals remaining the same except for the changing element of the young category of performer. The pattern uses just two simple sentences: “Can you see three kings? I see three kings.” “Can you see a camel? I see a camel.” The ending makes clever use of the star concept in three ways: as a physical symbol in the rebus, a single character in the play with the role of the Christmas star, and the punch line of 20 stars—all the children in the play. Preschoolers will enjoy “reading” the rebus and counting up all the various pageant characters; parents may use this with young children to introduce the concept of the Christmas pageant; and Sunday school teachers (and pageant directors) will also find this a worthwhile addition to their advent season preparations. MacDonald’s children are cheerful and appealing as they don their creative costumes, and she provides humorous asides in her illustrations with the pageant participants getting into minor mischief. (Picture book. 3-6)
