TWO BOY BOOKS

While I hesitate to use the label 'boy books', it sure seems like the boys who visit our house love a certain type of book and want to hear them read again immediately (they certainly never want to hear me read one of the Angelina Ballerina books more than once). Books about construction equipment and books with action - things falling, bouncing around, and loud, funny noises seem to appeal to Macy's little boy friends. The following two books are both illustrated by Marc Rosenthal with a retro, 1930's style, similar to that of R. Crumb. Another of our favorites illustrated by Rosenthal and written by Mem Fox is 'Straight Line Wonder', a book about having the courage to be different.

DIG! Written by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal 2004, 32 pages We follow Mr. Rally with his big yellow backhoe, and his dog Lightning, through a day filled with five big digging projects. The book includes a simple counting lesson woven seamlessly into the story - Mr. Rally has completed two projects, how many are left? The words have a nice rythm and repitition, and, as is typical with a book illustrated by Rosenthal, there is a secondary story line about the dog, Lightning, finding a bone at each site, which he buries at the end of the book.

PHOOEY! By Marc Rosenthal 2007, 40 pages The bored boy in this book spends most of the story complaining that "Nothing ever happens around here!" Then he kicks a can which starts a series of exciting events, which he fails to notice as he continues to mope around the town. All the while, there is so much happening right behind him throughout the whole book, that you have to read it a few times to see every interesting and exciting thing that he is missing. Most of the text consists of words describing the sounds made by all the action in the background - "ZOOP", "BONK", "FLUMP", "YOWL", "SKREEE", "AROOO", "PLOP", and many more... There are many subplots going on in the pictures, including one involving a pirate! Finally, at the end of the book, something quite exciting and unexpected happens to the boy, the result of kicking the can at the beginning of the story. Now he says, "This place is great!"