Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do

by Kathryn Heling, Deborah Hembrook, Andy Robert Davies (Illustrator)

Overview

A playful introduction to careers in a community, that’s also a rhyming picture book guessing game! Perfect for kids interested in different professions around town.

Who wears what to work? The clues in each kid-friendly rhyme can be spotted hanging from the clothesline—from a mail carrier’s uniform to a firefighter’s pants and heavy coat. Then turn the page to learn which professionals wear and use the special gear in the jobs they do. Clever illustrations show the workers helping one another, and in the end, everyone comes together for a celebration that is out of this world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580892513
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	07/01/2012
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Kathryn Heling has co-authored several books for children with Deborah Hembrook, including I WISH I HAD GLASSES LIKE ROSA and MOUSE MAKES WORDS: A PHONICS READER. Kathryn and Deborah live in Wisconsin.

Read an Excerpt

Look at the clotheslines and see every clue!
Who uses these things for the jobs that they do?

Editorial Reviews

Heling and Hembrook's clever conceit challenges children to analyze a small town's clotheslines to guess the job each of their owners does. Close-up on the clothesline: "Uniform and cap, / an invite for you. / Big bag of letters. / What job does she do?" A turn of the page reveals a macro view of the home, van and the woman doing her job, "She is a mail carrier." Indeed, she can be spotted throughout the book delivering invitations to all the rest of the characters, who gather at the end for a "Launch Party." The verses' rhymes are spot-on, though the rhythm falters a couple of times. The authors nicely mix up the gender stereotypes often associated with several of these occupations, making the carpenter, firefighter and astronaut women. But while Davies keeps uniforms and props pretty neutral (he even avoids U.S. mail symbols), he keeps to the stereotypes that allow young readers to easily identify occupations--the farmer chews on a stalk of wheat; the beret-wearing artist sports a curly mustache. A subdued palette and plain white backgrounds keep kids' focus on the clothing clues. Still, there are plenty of details to absorb--the cat with arched back that anticipates a spray of water, the firefighter who "lights" the rocket. Pair this with Leo Timmers' Who Is Driving? (2007) for twice the guessing fun. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews