From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-Descriptive words of many kinds are presented in bouncy, rhyming text: "They're colorful, like mauve and puce,/They help explain, like lean and loose,/Baggy, saggy, stretchy, strong,/Much too short or way too long." The text bounces, too, with the words printed in wavy lines and unevenly sized letters. The adjectives are colorfully highlighted and readers will see their function demonstrated in a wide variety of contexts. Little round cats and quirky humans, both with fat noses and wide eyes, humorously illustrate the meanings. The book will probably be used most often to enliven grammar lessons, and is a companion to A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? (Carolrhoda, 1999). Unfortunately, the illustrations are too small for group use. While Ruth Heller's Many Luscious Lollipops (Grosset & Dunlap, 1989) is still hard to beat on the subject, Hairy, Scary, Ordinary is a lighthearted, multifaceted illustration of the importance of adjectives in our language.
Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Kirkus Reviews
The team that brought us A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun?(1999) turns its attention with equal felicity to defining adjectives in this antic, illustrated poem. Adjectives, readers discover, are words that ``modify nouns in ways that help tell us / If someone's sincere, delighted, or jealous, / If jackets are herringbone, pinstriped, or plaid, / if babies are crabby, excited, or glad.'' Prosmitsky's amusing cartoons of silly humans and goofy cats illustrate every adjective that lurks in the text, thus reinforcing each meaning visually. Altogether, this entertaining lecture will go far to enliven and enlighten language classes as well as add to the readers vocabulary. Neat, clever, commendable, and groovy. (Picture book. 7-9) --
Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
