Truss follows up her hilarious guide to comma placement with a sequel focusing on the trickier concept of apostrophes. She begins with a two-page introduction explaining the use of the apostrophe in possessives, contractions and in the challenging choice of “its” vs. “it’s.” Each consecutive spread follows the simple but clever layout used in the preceding volume, using a minimum of text with large, appealing illustrations in Timmons’s distinctive, understated style. The left-hand page shows a simple sentence or phrase without the use of the apostrophe, while the facing page adds an apostrophe that changes the meaning. For example, in “the dogs like my dad,” several dogs cavort around a man with wild hair and a beard. In “the dog’s like my dad,” the hairy man is walking just one dog with similar red hair. Some sentence pairs are whimsical while others are laugh-out-loud funny, but the entire text is easy to understand through the charming watercolor-and-ink illustrations. The final spread shows each of the previous pages in miniature with short explanations of the grammatical terms and issues. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-399-24706-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
