Very Short Stories to Read Together

by Mary Ann Hoberman, Michael Emberley (Illustrator)

Overview

A New York Times bestseller! This collection of stories from former children's poet laureate Mary Ann Hoberman provides endless read-aloud fun.

Here's a book with something new—you read to me! I'll read to you! We'll read each page to one another—you'll read one side, I the other.

The first in the award-winning You Read to Me, I'll Read to You series, this unique book "in two voices" uses traditional reading teaching techniques (alliteration, rhyme, repetition, short sentences) to invite young children to read along with an adult. Each of the twelve short stories fits on one spread and features child-friendly themes such as family, friendship, pets, and seasons. With clear, color-coded typography and delightful illustrations, this collection is sure to entertain.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316363501
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/01/2001
Series:	You Read to Me, I'll Read to You Series , #1
Edition description:	1 ED
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	541,912
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 11.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mary Ann Hoberman is a children's poet and author. The former children's poet laureate, she is also a National Book Award recipient. She has published over forty books for children.

Editorial Reviews

"Here's a book / With something new -- / You read to me! / I'll read to you!" With an invitation that every book lover can endorse, Mary Ann Hoberman unfolds an exuberant read-aloud experience for children and their reading partners. The book's brief, rhythmic stories and Michael Emberley's lighthearted pastel cartoons gently coax beginning readers into the sheer joy of words and rhymes.

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 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

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 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Playful rhymes celebrate the sheer joy of reading in this exuberant read-aloud collection. Designed for two readers, the poems are laid out with verses in place-specific positions and printed in a trio of colors to indicate the different voices; purple on the left, pink on the right, and the blue sections in the center indicating that the text should be read in unison. Hoberman (It's Simple, Said Simon, 2001, etc.) draws upon such universally kid-pleasing themes as frolicking in the snow and frisky puppies, liberally infusing them with copious amounts of silliness. The result: rambunctious poems to tickle funny bones. Whatever the theme, each poem concludes with the rousing chorus, "You read to me. / I'll read to you." Hoberman's verses draw the readers into a delightful verbal sparring match of dueling rhymes. The humorous bandying keeps the laughs coming while the actual vocabulary is manageable for fledgling readers. The poems run the gamut from a pair of dogs scolding a cat for chasing mice to the wonderfully insouciant poem, "Hop and Skip." Emberley's pen-and-watercolor illustrations capture the liveliness of the poems; small vignettes revel in the absurdities, beckoning readers to join in and relish the fun. In "The Two Mice," Hoberman sums up the philosophy of the collection quite nicely. "Two readers reading / Make a game. / It's twice as nice / When there are two." And what fun this is for readers and listeners alike. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews