Chips and Cheese and Nana's Knees

March 1, 2015
Grades 2-4 The topic of alliteration is a natural for the Words are CATegorical series. It doesn't take Cleary long to explain what alliteration is: When words are close together and they start with the same sound, it's called alliteration, as in, Frances froze and frowned. After reiterating that it's a repeated beginning sound that matters, even when the letters are different, the text gives multiple examples of alliteration, including those with double and triple letters, such as cheesy chips and strung streamers. The concluding pages encourage readers to keep on the lookout for alliteration in poems, songs, street signs, and in talk and texts and tweeting. Wildly colorful, Goneau's cartoon illustrations turn the rhythmic, rhyming verses into comically exaggerated little dramas. While many children's books use alliteration, few actually define it or talk about it. This playful yet practical book will help kids grasp the concept.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Cleary's colorful cats coach the concept (see what we did there?) of alliteration for elementary-age readers. This is Cleary's usual schtick: forced rhymes introduce a term and provide examples, ad infinitum, while the cartoon cats provide exaggerated comic relief in the garishly hued illustrations. Alliterative words are highlighted in the text to aid comprehension. A final chart with examples reinforces lessons learned.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)