Mom and Dad Are Palindromes

by Mark Shulman, Adam McCauley (Illustrator)

Overview

Bob has a problem. He's a palindrome. In fact, once he learns what a palindrome is, he starts finding palindromes everywhere: his little sis, Nan; his pup, Otto; even his Mom and Dad! It's making Bobfeel like a kook. Is there no escape? Mark Shulman and Adam McCauley have joined forces to create a wonderfully visual, ridiculously clever book of wordplay. Join the hilarity. . . do your civic deed, don't let your pupils slip up, and find the over 101 palindromes hiding in the words and pictures of this zany book. Plus, this version includes audio and a read-along setting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452146676
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	01/13/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	36
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

Madam, I'm Adam McCauley is the author and illustrator of My Friend Chicken. He has also illustrated many other picture books and chapter books for children, including The Time Warp Trio series and Sideways Stories from Wayside School.

Editorial Reviews

In this tale of compulsive wordplay, flame-haired Bob (aka Robert Trebor) discovers palindromes and becomes possessed by language. He notices mirror-image words and phrases everywhere, and begins listing "My kayak. My race car. Otto, my pup.... I needed to tell Mom and Dad and... O no!" Realizing the literal truth of the book title, Bob rushes to inform his sister Anna: "You're all palindromes! Even Nan!" Anna, snacking on Doofy Food, cautions, "Level, Bob, level. You're being a kook!" Bob's apprehension increases in a way that's both funny and infectious. "It will get better, won't it now?" he reasons, unwittingly compounding the irony. Shulman (AA Is for Aardvark) and McCauley (My Friend Chicken) mimic the high anxiety of Scieszka and Smith's Math Curse, down to the speckly illustration style and playful display type. They emphasize the palindromes with old-fashioned, circus-like capital letters that suit the hyper mood perfectly; street signs, book titles and incidental background details further reveal the palindrome epidemic. Fans of Jon Agee's palindrome titles will want to check out this volume, which slyly promotes a catchy spelling game. Ages 5-10. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-4-Poor Bob! When his teacher discusses palindromes, he realizes that he is surrounded by them. He frantically tries to elude such words and phrases, but encounters more at every turn. In all, Shulman cleverly weaves over 101 palindromes into the text. They are set in a variety of fonts that differ in size, color, and shading to highlight their presence. However, they are also present on signs, as asides, etc., and so offer some challenges to finding them all. The mixed-media cartoon art amplifes the zany situation. Pair this book with Jon Agee's Palindromania! (Farrar, 2002) for an enjoyable lesson on wordplay.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Retro art, inventive typography and antic wordplay mix in this bright offering. During a lesson on palindromes, Miss Sim mortifies Bob by declaiming his palindromic status. He's then horrified to find his home brimming with the things: Mom, Dad, Anna, even tiny Nan are so afflicted. Bob bolts, then realizes "Palindromes are really just words and there's more than one way to say any word!" Whether kids spy his surname on family portraits, or read it emblazoned across the last double spread, they'll laugh out loud over Robert Trebor's fresh plight. While the premise of Bob's freak-out is slender, the text crackles with cleverly integrated palindromes. McCauley supplies dozens more on book spines and signs. Indeed, the full-bleed art, in primary colors, white and black, more than extends the text: Horizontal, double-pointed arrows recur, defining the palindrome concept and adding a graphic frenzy to already wacky compositions. En route to Jon Agee's tours de force, don't miss this wow of a detour. (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews

"In this tale of compulsive wordplay, flame-haired Bob (aka Robert Trebor) discovers palindromes and becomes possessed by language. He notices mirror-image words and phrases everywhere, and begins listing "My kayak. My race car. Otto, my pup .... I needed to tell Mom and Dad and...O no!" Realizing the literal truth of the book title, Bob rushes to inform his sister Anna: "You're all palindromes! Even Nan!" Anna, snacking on Doofy Food, cautions, "Level, Bob, level. You're being a kook!" Bob's apprehension increases in a way that's both funny and infectious. "It will get better, won't it now -" he reasons, unwittingly compounding the irony. Shulman (AA Is for Aardvark) and McCauley (My Friend Chicken) mimic the high anxiety of Scieszka and Smith's Math Curse, down to the speckly illustration style and playful display type. They emphasize the palindromes with old-fashioned, circus-like capital letters that suit the hyper mood perfectly; street signs, book titles and incidental background details further reveal the palindrome epidemic. Fans of Jon Agee's palindrome titles will want to check out this volume, which slyly promotes a catchy spelling game." -Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The joke builds nicely, and the illustrations are handsome." New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher