THREE PROS
*I get it -- we want to teach our kids to be friendly with all their peers, even that kid everyone knows sucks
*Having the two characters look and speak totally differently only reinforces the above point
*The author tried something a little unique (using only short conversational bursts throughout), so, in theory, he shouldn't be dinged too hard for sticking to this method
*Having the two characters look and speak totally differently only reinforces the above point
*The author tried something a little unique (using only short conversational bursts throughout), so, in theory, he shouldn't be dinged too hard for sticking to this method
THREE CONS
*Try getting from cover to cover without doing at least one of the following: (a) muttering "WTF!" under your breath, (b) allowing your mind to wander to any of the other books you could be reading out loud right then, or (c) excusing yourself from your child's room to throw something against a wall
*Except for the two boys, there is literally nothing else to look at -- one could argue that anything else might be superfluous or distracting, but I would argue that it's just a timesaving (for Raschka) waste of space
*As my wife, mother-in-law, and I all pointed out independently, the stunted speech pattern is not exactly the type of thing you want to instill to young kids (with the possible exception of parents residing in a cave community)
ONE DAD'S OPINION
My god, this is such a piece of crap. Despite a spirited rebuttal by my sister-in-law, I have no doubt that Yo! Yes? is the second-worst story I have ever laid my hands on. I can't begin to tell you how angry I was that this was nominated for any award, let alone a Caldecott (which I have proven time and again should not be factored into any sane person's buying decision process). What part of the super basic sketches warranted it being included in the top six best illustrated books of 1994? In my mind, bestowing that honor upon it has to be viewed as a closed-fist punch to the faces of every other person in this profession. Consider this review retaliation for that brazen act of aggression.
Buy / Borrow / Donate / DESTROY
3 comments:
This is the kind of book written for kids, not adults. Most kids start out with nonstandard speech patterns.
That said, if you hate a book, you definitely don't have to read it again, whatever your kid thinks. I never reread books I wanted to destroy.
Maybe you could have a category where you give your kids' reaction? That's something missing from this review. (Oh, and congratulations on the new addition!)
I have a great book suggestion that might cleanse your palate after this book! Would love to send you a copy. Lindsey - lindsey@largemediainc.com
Beth:
I totally appreciate what you are trying to say, but my blog has a specific mission. Check out the following link and focus on what I have italicized for a succinct explanation of how I operate...
http://kidbookratings.blogspot.com/p/whos-this-blog-for.html
Sincerely,
Erik
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