Very short stories to read together (You Read to Me, I'll Read to You #1)

John Ciardi's collection of 35 poems with drawings by Edward Gorey is perhaps the best known book with this title (published in 1962); it, too, used the concept of dividing a poem on the page, designed for a more experienced reader to read with a child. Hoberman (One of Each) here creates a collection of 12 rhyming and heavily repetitious dialogues, each one ending with the emphasis on reading together (e.g., "I'll read to you. You'll read to me"; "We'll read together, / You and I"). In "The Dime," a pig discovers that the coin he found may actually be the lost money of his rabbit friend. A discussion ensues: "Shall we divide the dime in two?"/ "A nickel each? It's up to you."/ Or shall we buy/ One thing to share?"/ "That would be fun, that would fair." Another playful poem, "The Bear," takes on an incredulous tone; when a boy's little brother tells a bear he can spend the night as long as he does not snore, the boy's friend replies, "Your little brother/ Sounds quite brave/ To tell a bear/ How to behave." But while the mood is light, the text never really takes flight. In addition to similar phrases, the rhyme scan is nearly identical in all of the poems; the tone becomes monotonous. However, each of Emberley's (Happy Birth Day!) spot illustrations is unique and, in total, the artwork creates relationships among the characters. Working in watercolor, pen and pastel, he endows his characters with an edgy expressiveness that leaps off the page. Ages 4-up. (Sept.)

Copyright 2001 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2-A delightful choreography of rhythm, rhyme, and repetition that begs to be read aloud in tandem by children and adults, or by any pairing of beginning readers. The gist of the book is that reading aloud and listening as others read aloud is an integral part of early literacy. "Here's a book/With something new-/You read to me!/I'll read to you!" instructs a passage in the introduction. Thirteen two-page humorous "stories" feature enduring childhood subjects like animals, play, likes and dislikes, friends, and family. All are liberally decorated with Emberley's witty, exuberant, pastel-colored cartoon illustrations. Brief verses appear on the left, right, or center of each page and are printed in three different colors to signal whose turn it is to read (or when it's time to read together). Simple yet varied vocabulary is used throughout. All of the selections conclude with a twist on the "you read to me/I'll read to you" refrain. The combination of short, rhythmic stories and cheerful art is a winning one, making this title a valuable addition to picture-book collections.-Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NY

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.