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Who Will I Be? A Halloween Rebus
Greenwillow
Books, 2005
ISBN 0-06-056067-3
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker At the last minute, a girl needs a costume for a Halloween party. She
has lace-trimmed pants, a frilly blouse, fancy socks, some foil paper,
and her pets. Who will she be? The same ingredients add up to two different
costumes and a surprise ending in this funny rebus story--a story you
will be able to read even if you are just learning how!
[reviews] [purchase]
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Neitzel
and Parker have collaborated on eight previous rebus books, including
I'm Not Feeling Well Today (2001). In this one, a little
girl is picking out items to wear for her Halloween costume: lace-trimmed
pants; a swirling scarf; a frilly, beaded blouse; a tablecloth.
Children will easily follow the rebus that supplements the rhyming
text, but they may not be able to guess what the child is going
to be. There are clues in the artwork that indicate she may be
a pirate, so seeing her outfitted as Little Bo Peep is a surprise.
Then, in a double twist, the girl decides that she may not want
to be Bo Peep after all and uses the same gear for a pirate costume.
Executed inwatercolors, colored pencils, and black pen, Parker's
jaunty pictures capture the story's essence. Especially cute is
the girl's black cat, dressed up as Bo Peep's lamb. --Ilene
Cooper, Booklist
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These
Are Friends of Jesus
Augsburg
Books, 2005
ISBN 0-8066-5119-9
Illustrated by Benrei Huang
This rhyming story is friendly introduction to the life of Jesus and
people whose lives were changed by his. The story adds new characters
with each page turn while repeating the friends met earlier. Pages at
the back of the book give more depth to the Bible stories mentioned. Older
children will enjoy checking out the scripture references. All readers
will delight in Benrei Huang's lovely art.
[purchase]
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This
Is the Ark That Noah Built
Augsburg
Books, 2004
ISBN 0-8066-4643-8
Illustrated by Benrei Huang A buoyant, jaunty, rhythmic telling of the Noah story that offers
a foundational faith story in a style proven to be effective in the
teaching of reading.
[reviews] [purchase]
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Neitzel
uses a repetitive format and clever rhyme scheme to retell the
creation story from
Genesis: “God told Noah kind and good, / to build an ark
of gopher wood. / This is the ark that Noah built. / These are
the donkeys,
with hees and haws / that went in the ark that Noah built.” Sheep,
lions, mice, giraffes and a host of animal passengers join Noah
on this journey to a new world. Neitzel also found opportunities
to
teach children religious values. She has Noah brushing away a gnat,
so children can see he is kind and nurturing even to something
we adults would find to be a nuisance. In addition to built-in
reading
strategies, Neitzel created a number of activities that work well
in a Sunday school or vacation Bible school format. The book includes
instructions for a lion and lamb mobile, for paper bag puppets
and a brief prayer for children to learn. The Grand Rapids
Press
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Our
Class Took a Trip to the Zoo
Greenwillow, 2002
ISBN 0-688-15543-X
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
A boy talks about his class trip to the zoo, and from the first
page (“I left my coat with the chimpanzee”), the action
is fast and funny. The rebus pictures will have kids joining in
the rhyme with the silly slapstick that’s both wild and just
like them. Booklist
[reviews] [purchase]
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| In their
eighth rebus book, Neitzel and Parker once again tell a story in
the simple cumulative
verse with clear pictures in line, watercolor, and colored pencil.
This time a boy talks about his class trip to the zoo, and from the
first page (“I left my coat with the chimpanzee”), the
action is fast and funny. One at a time, he describes all the things
he loses (“I dropped my lunch when the bear startled me”),
and the rhyming verse with the rebus pictures gets longer with each
small catastrophe. For the first half of the book, pictures show
only the bits and pieces he loses. Tension builds: Where are the
animals? Where are the boy and his class? Then, finally, the cumulative
verse unravels, and, one at a time, the pictures show how he lost
something in his encounter with each animal. The rebus pictures will
have kids joining in the rhyme with the silly slapstick that’s
both wild and just like them. Booklist
Honor: Children’s Book of the Month Club selection
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Liberty
and Justice for All, A First Look at Core Democratic Values
River Road
Publications, 2002
ISBN 0-938682-70-9
Illustrated by Carolyn Stich Neitzel combines her background in elementary teaching with notable
writing skills to introduce young readers to the core democratic
values. In familiar classroom situation, and often with a touch
of humor, Neitzel helps youngsters discover the values in their
everyday lives.
[reviews] [purchase] Liberty and Justice for All,
A Teacher’s Guide
River Road Publications, 2002
ISBN 0-938682-71-7 Reproducible worksheets, activities, and comprehension questions
expand on the core democratic values introduced in Liberty
and Justice for All. [purchase]
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| Neitzel combines her background
in elementary teaching with notable writing skills to introduce young
readers to the core democratic values. In familiar classroom situation,
and often with a touch of humor, Neitzel helps youngsters discover
the values in their everyday lives. |
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From
the Land of the White Birch
River Road
Publications, 1997
ISBN 0-938682-44-X
Illustrated by Daniel Powers
This collection of three Ojibwa legends, including “The
Sun Snarer,” “Ojeeg’s Search for Summer,” and “Wassamowin
and the Thunderbirds.” In the first two legends, animals
heroically repair problems in the natural order. In the third a
brave hunter escapes from the thunderbirds and sends them to the
far mountains where they no longer create a danger.
[reviews] [purchase]
From the Land of the White
Birch,
A Teacher’s Guide
River Road Publications, 1997
ISBN 0-938682-51-2 This excellent guide helps teachers coordinate the legends with
reading, science, writing, and social studies. It includes both
teacher-directed and student activities. Reproducible. [purchase]
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| Three pourquoi tales from the Ojibwa. In one legend, a mischievous boy snares the
sun. When
the animals work to set the natural order in place again, Beaver’s
tail is burnt hairless, Bear’s coat and nose are blackened,
and Mouse, who was once a huge white animal, is melted to her present
size with ashen-colored coat. The second story is another Native
American version of an endless winter that was heroically ended,
again with animal help. The last selection explains how a brave man
escaped from the clutches of the fierce thunderbirds and drove them
into the far mountains; the roar of their wings and the fire from
their eyes in the clouds are all that remain. The tales are accompanied
by charcoal illustrations and border motifs on each page. Each short
selection is good for storytime, and the whole is a fine beginning
chapter book. School Library Journal |
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We’re
Making Breakfast for Mother
Greenwillow
Books, 1997
ISBN 0-688-14575-2
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
Sister and brother set out to prepare a Mother’s
Day repast, aided by Dad when it comes
to the hot tea and toast. Jaunty pictures help build the tale’s
momentum to a surprising conclusion that pleases the entire family.
Pages
[reviews] [purchase]
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| The rhymes
and rebuses in Neitzel and Parker’s books give them child appeal
and make them good tools to teach and reinforce reading. They are
also very
effective models for creative-writing instruction. Most important,
though, they are good, happy-ending jaunts at storytime. We’re
Making Breakfast for Mother features Dad, two children, and
a dog and cat preparing a breakfast of cereal and toast, which is
served
on a silver tray with a vase of flowers. Although the story is predictable,
promising disaster before the end (Here’s whole wheat toast,
a little too brown, with raspberry jelly…Oops! Jelly-side down”),
children won’t mind knowing what’s coming. Mother takes
it all in good spirits. “We’ll put on our jackets and
go for a hike, since I don’t want to see what the kitchen looks
like.” The characters are real, down to the dog who gets the
toast and the cat who gets the cereal. Everybody enjoys the finale
when Dad, Mother, and the children go to Joe’s Cafe for pancakes.
A great selection, particularly for Mother’s Day! School Library
Journal |
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The Bag
I’m Taking to Grandma’s
Greenwillow
Books, 1995
ISBN 0-688-12960-9
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
Captures a child’s priorities of what’s really necessary
to take to Grandma’s. Aren’t toys always more important
than pajamas? American Bookseller, Pick of the Lists
[reviews] [purchase]
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| “Here is my shuttle
with the astronaut crew / that I’ll stash with my cars (I’m
taking them all), along with my mitt for playing ball, / that I’ll
pack in the bag I’m taking to Grandma’s.” Cumulative
verse and simple line drawings catalogue the treasured belongings
a small boy packs into a plain brown shopping bag for his visit to
Grandma. A rebus is fitted into the reiteration, inviting participation
in the reading. The left-hand page carries a large illustration of
the most-recently-added item—the bunny the boy sleeps with
at night, the pillow, the book, the flashlight. On the facing page,
in which the text repeats the litany of objects, small pictures are
substituted for the featured items. As the bag fills to the top,
Mother appears. “What’s in this bag? It weighs a ton.” Nancy
Winslow Parker’s spare, softly-colored sketches are comic and
expressive, supplying the humor in deft conjunction with the text
as Mother insists that all the treasures be put away. The disgruntled
child has the last word as his mother hands him a sensible pile of
clothes—he has already filled his duffel bag with a new stash
of favorite things. The cheerful view of a very familiar predicament
will amuse adults and children alike, and the rhyming rebus invites
shared reading with individual children and groups. Hornbook
Honors:
American Booksellers Association Pick
of the Lists
Family Fun Honor Book
Michigan Reading Association
Reader’s Choice
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The Dress
I’ll
Wear to the Party
Greenwillow
Books, 1992
ISBN 0-688-09959-9
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
Playing dress-up has never been so much fun…until mother
appears…and promptly removes each of the purloined items
and sends her daughter scurrying off to put on her own party dress.
Publishers Weekly
[reviews] [purchase]
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| Playing
dress-up has never been so much fun. Through cumulative text and
rebuses, this upbeat
picture book traces a girl’s elaborate preparations for a party—from
putting on shiny shoes and a fancy hair ribbon to adorning herself
with earrings, perfume and a handkerchief edged with lace. Readers
are in for a surprise, too, as Neitzel cleverly conceals the fact
that this is indeed dress-up until suddenly mother appears—“This
is my mother who said, ‘Oh, dear!’” She promptly
removes each of the purloined items and sends her slip-clad daughter
scurrying off to put on her own, more appropriate, party dress. Adding
to the festive mood are Winslow’s crisp illustrations (her
rainbow of fashionable colors appears both playful and chic) and
a clear design featuring generous white space. Ages 3-up. Publishers
Weekly
Honor: Parent’s Choice Honor Book
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The Jacket I Wear in the Snow
Greenwillow
Books, 1989
ISBN 0-688-08030-8
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
A young girl playing in the snow names all the warm clothes she
can’t remove because her scarf is caught in her jacket’s
zipper. School Library Journal
[reviews] [purchase]
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| In the cumulative
tradition of “The House that Jack Built,” this rhyme
uses a homey, down-to-earth subject. “This is the stocking
cap for my head, / that matches the scarf woolly and red, / that’s
caught in the zipper / that’s stuck on the jacket I wear in
the snow.” A
little girl introduces her winter clothing bit by bit—such
a bundle of layers that when its time to play she can hardly move.
Her mother saves the day, untangling her tearful child from a sled,
unwrapping the outerwear, and serving a comforting snack. Crayon-bright
colors shade the line drawings, contrasting crisply with the clean,
white pages. All the action and humor appear in the illustrations,
with the rhythmic beat of the verse creating a droll, deadpan view
of the situation. To add to the fun, the rhyme turns into a rebus.
Substituting a picture of an article of clothing for the appropriate
word in the verse each time it reappears gives prereaders a chance
to identify the objects. With its jaunty dust jacket and appealing
subject, this book will also be a take-home favorite and a natural
for preschool story hour. Booklist
Honor: International Reading Association/Children’s Book
Council Children’s Choice
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I’m
Taking a Trip on My Train
Greenwillow
Books, 1999
ISBN 0-688-15834-X
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
Neitzel and Parker are right on track with this cumulative, rhyming
rebus. A boy dons an engineer’s cap, gives a roll call of
his locomotive cars, and then offers a cheerful journey over trestles
and through crowds. In a humorous twist, readers step back to view
the model railroad strewn throughout a disheveled home. School
Library Journal
[reviews] [purchase]
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| In their
signature style of simple cumulative verse and clear rebus illustrations,
the author
and artist tell a story of a boy playing at being engineer on the
train in his room. One by one, on each left-hand page, there is a
big picture in line, watercolor, and colored pencil of a locomotive,
then a boxcar, a tanker, the people along the track, the trestle,
the tunnel, the signal crossing. One by one, each of the pictures
becomes a rebus in a cumulative rhyme on the right-hand page, so
children can join in and say the words. Then there is a nice reversal
as Mom sweeps in and, with barely concealed irritation, requests
of the smiling boy that before going to bed, he “pick up this
freight yard.” Kids will enjoy the combination of reality and
play, the facts about trains, and the game of the journey. Booklist
Honor: Children’s Book of the Month Club selection
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I’m
Not Feeling Well Today
Greenwillow,
2001
ISBN 0-688-17380-2
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
Here’s a book for anyone who’s been well enough to
enjoy a sick day at home. Both children and grown-ups will relate
to this playful expression of the yen for a day off. Horn Book
[reviews] [purchase]
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| Here’s
a book for anyone who’s been well enough to enjoy a sick day
at home. “I’m
not feeling well today,” declares a young boy in striped pajamas.
What could possibly make him feel better? Well, a box of tissues
for starters, but don’t forget the blanket, the cat, the jigsaw
puzzles, the TV cartoons…As in many other Neitzel/Parker collaborations
(The Bag I’m Taking to Grandma’s, etc.), rebus pictures
stand in for each item on the growing list so that the child viewer
can easily join in “reading” the rhyming, cumulative
text. The boy’s energetic demands—not to mention his
tumbling on the bed—bring a frowning mom to the boy’s
door; she obviously has her doubts about her son’s claims of
illness. Happily, a miracle arrives just in time to save the boy
from running for the school bus. What could be better than a sick
day at home? A snow day, of course! Colorful pictures of the boy’s
comfortable surroundings and favorite things reinforce the appeal
of staying home. Both children and grown-ups will relate to this
playful expression of the yen for a day off. Horn Book
Honor: Nest Literary Classics Book Club selection
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The House
I’ll
Build for the Wrens
Greenwillow
Books, 1997
ISBN 0-688-14973-1
Illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
Rebus-filled cumulative verses list the necessary construction
materials and tools as a boy sets out to build a birdhouse. Just
as the industrious young carpenter is applying blue paint, he is
greeted by his mother. She looks at the mess and readers can see
that this project has not been authorized. School Library Journal
[reviews] [purchase]
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| Designed
as a rebus, this appealing book offers a wonderful opportunity for
children to learn
the names of carpentry tools, see initiative at work, and have some
fun at the same time. The spunky, cumulative rhyme starts with a
little boy holding up plans for the wren house he plans to build;
it then goes on as he identifies each item he will use to construct
it. Left-hand pages contain nicely sized, crisply outlined pictures
of the essentials—the toolbox, the boards, the hammer and nails,
and the brush and paints. Opposite is the rebus, with pictures of
the tools smoothly worked into the verse, which appears in large,
dark type. When the rebus finally swells to fill a page, the format
smoothly changes to one that’s more traditional. Mom and baby
sister arrive home just in time to watch cleanup and help the little
carpenter hang his satisfying—albeit unusual—creation.
From the cheerful, rhyming text to the fetching art, this is a winner
in every way. Booklist (Starred review) |
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