Hop! Plop! [Hardcover]

Corey Rosen Schwartz (Author), Tali Klein (Author), Olivier Dunrea (Illustrator), Oliver Dunrea (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Hop! Plop! Boom! Bop! This day's fun will never stop!

Mouse and Elephant know that the perfect remedy to a boring day is a trip to the playground. But it's a little tough to decide which playground ride is their favorite. With Elephant so Big, and Mouse so Small, each ride can be a bit of a challenge for the pair. The seesaw sends Mouse soaring. The swings are a total flop for Elephant. And the whirly-bird is just a bit too whirly for Mouse. It takes a little bit of trial and a whole lot of error before Mouse and Elephant discover what their favorite really is -- each other.

A funny and charming look at friendship, with a simple and playful text that the youngest audiences will beg to hear over and over!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1 Two best buddies go to the playground and discover that their favorite pieces of equipment don't work as they expect them to. After Elephant sits down opposite him, the seesaw sends Mouse flying. When Mouse jumps on a swing, it wraps around the upper bar, and when Elephant takes a turn, it breaks. Just as Mouse has had enough, his pal makes a perfect slide with his trunk. The text consists of simple dialogue interspersed with staccato rhymes that describe each activity. From the swings (PLOP! DROP! CRASH! WHOP!/The swings were a total flop) to the merry-go-round (PUSH! WHOOSH! ZING! SMUSH!/Mouse landed on his tush!), the action words are integrated into the illustrations and given various fonts and colors to make them stand out. Dunrea's clean cartoon artwork, done in pen-and-ink with gouache, enhances the text without overwhelming it. Despite its abrupt ending, this simple tale of friendship is a fine read-aloud. Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. This jaunty picture book is distinguished by a clean, sans serif typeface, typically considered best for new readers, and rhyming onomatopoeia that lends itself equally to boisterous read-alouds or silent, independent enjoyment. Elephant and Mouse find that their vastly mismatched sizes hinder having fun together at the park: on the seesaw, Elephant's energetic "HOP!" ejects Mouse high into the air--"PLOP! BOOM! WHOP!"--and his Herculean swing-pushes send his pal on a loop-de-loop ride. "I think this playground is broken," Mouse moans, but Elephant's thoughtful gesture redeems their outing. Unfortunately, it's sometimes a strain to figure out how each sequence of sound-words relate to the mishap depicted, and the rhythmically awkward line of verse capping each incident disrupts the narrative flow ("PUSH! WHOOSH! ZING! SMUSH! Mouse landed on his tush!"). But the examples of playground physics offer teachers many opportunities to stress basic concepts (big and little, heavy and light), and Dunrea's simple ink-and-gouache paintings against unadorned, white backgrounds allow the slapstick maneuvers and rowdy words to take center stage. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802780563
• ISBN-13: 978-0802780560
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,711,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun and great for learning, April 4, 2006

By 

John Laurence Miller (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hop! Plop! (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book! It is more than just fun. It gives little kids a first experience of thinking about weight and measurement and about what can go wrong when you are trying to solve a problem.

Highly recommended!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My sons love this book!, April 4, 2006

By 

Linda Ginzel (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hop! Plop! (Hardcover)

We were fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of this book a while back and my youngest sons loved it so much, and we read it so often, that the pages are literally worn from use. Our babysitter even tried contacting the author to ask when the book might be available in stores. Now we have this beautiful, hardcover version. In my family, we are celebrating the arrival of Hop!Plop! and based on our experience, we bought several copies.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh approach..., April 19, 2006

By 

S. Vogel (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hop! Plop! (Hardcover)

What a fresh and warm approach to teaching kids about challenges, creative solutions and friendships. I have given this book to 3 of my nieces and friend's kids and they have all told me their kids love it. I look forward to their next book!