Music is the universal solvent of socioeconomic and geopolitical barriers. You may come from the meadow, like a soft-pink bunny named Hop, or you may come from the heart of the swamp, like an algae-green turtle named Hip, but if your game is rapping, you’ll find a way, together, to rock the party. Hip and Hop are budding rappers, albeit with different styles; true to their natures, Hip’s raps are slow and Hop’s raps are like missiles. They combine forces to play off their strengths and weaknesses and win the neighborhood rap contest. Czekaj has produced a good-spirited, high-octane read-aloud. A river of brotherhood runs through the proceedings, and the artwork is particularly friendly, with both Hip and Hop sporting great pollywog heads. The rhymes, however, are what send this tale careening along: “Listen to the drums / and listen to the basses. / I’ve got buck teeth, / but I don’t need braces.” Readers can set the lyrics to their own kind of music, engage with poetry and the written word and maybe experience a little of that universal harmony. (Picture book. 3-6)
