Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!

In this pithy adaptation of her bestselling adult book of the same title, Truss wryly demonstrates the truth of her subtitle -sans comma. As she explains in her brief introduction, commas "can create havoc when they are left out or are put in the wrong spot, and the results of misuse can be hilarious." With the help of Timmons's energetic, often comically exaggerated cartoons, Truss shows just "how" hilarious. The opening scene sets the humorous yet instructive tone: a panda walks into a library, eats a sandwich, then draws his bow and shoots two arrows. When the librarian asks why he has done that, the animal points to a book's definition of panda, which reads, in part, "Eats, shoots and leaves," apparently describing the species' diet rather than behavior. Several of the examples of comma commotion are common, such as the difference between the meanings of "Slow, children crossing" and "Slow children crossing"; or "Eat here, and get gas" and "Eat here and get gas" (the latter picturing a woman airborne due to bodily gas). Yet most of the scenarios presented take an original approach, among them side-by-side depictions of a classroom in which first a child ("The student, said the teacher, is crazy") and then his teacher ("The student said the teacher is crazy") indulge in inane antics. A final spread explains the grammatical reason for the varying meanings of each pair of sentences. Why, this will encourage kids to think twice about using, or not, a comma. Ages 4-8." (July)" Copyright 2006 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 1-3 -Truss -s picture-book version of her adult bestseller tackles the topic of commas and what can go wrong when they are misused. The title is derived from an old joke in which a panda misunderstands correct panda behavior after reading a poorly punctuated wildlife guide. Versions of two identically worded sentences are presented side by side, demonstrating the difference in meaning achieved when a comma is added or subtracted. Timmons -s humorous watercolor cartoons bring the point home. In one spread, the sentence on the left ( -Look at that huge hot dog! -) is illustrated with a gigantic sausage, while that on the right ( -Look at that huge, hot dog! -) shows a tall, sweltering canine. The author cleverly selects examples with the potential for comical (and grammatically correct) revisions. Endnotes elaborate on comma usage in more technical terms. While a title on grammar may need hand selling, both read-aloud audiences and independent readers will discover the potent possibilities of punctuation. More specific than Robin Pulver -s "Punctuation Takes a Vacation" (Holiday House, 2003), Truss -s work is sure to spark creative assignments in elementary composition curriculums." -Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI" Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.