Thursday, February 18, 2010

February Pick for Totz and Older Siblings: Can You Make A Scary Face?

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/articles/blog/660000266/20091015/can%20you%20make%20a%20scary%20face.jpg
This book is hilarious. A perfect read-aloud. It's unusual in that the main character speaks directly to readers. I watched a storytime in a local store and the audience of totz and their siblings enjoyed it as much as I did.

The narrator is a big ladybug painted in bold colors, and it begins with her saying...
Can you make a scary face?
Hey, you!
Yes, I'm talking to you! STAND UP!
No, I changed my mind... SIT DOWN!
No, I changed my mind AGAIN. STAND UP!

Kids in the audience were delighted to obey this bossy ladybug's every command, giggling all the while. There's a moment of humorous tension when a big frog comes along and actually scares the ladybug. She enlists the help of readers in scaring him away. But then the audience scares her off!

Very clever and unusual. Loved it.

Can You Make A Scary Face?
By Jan Thomas
Beach Lane Books, 2009

2 comments:

Lorie Ann Grover said...

So perfect, Joan!

Joan Holub said...

Yeah! I do love this. It's so child-friendly.