It Looks a Lot Like Reindeer (It Could Be Verse) [Library Binding]

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Brian Cleary (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: It Could Be Verse

A boy paints a humorous picture of the members of his family, describing them in pun-filled rhymes based on animal names.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-6--A young artist tells about his family using puns created from animal names. His father predicts the weather ("It looks like reindeer") and his grandfather laments ("my herring is gone"). The book's heavily contrived premise highlights the forced humor; even children who like puns will find some of Cleary's wordplay a stretch. The artwork is a surrealistic mix of dark oil paintings and collage. The images they create are obtuse and do little to explain the jokes. For humorous puns and plays on words, try poetry by Prelutsky or Silverstein. A good riddle book or even some homemade knock-knock jokes will be more enjoyable for most children than this odd offering.

Ellen M. Riordan, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lerner Publications (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822521172
• ISBN-13: 978-0822521174
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,896,841 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian P. Cleary is the creator of the best-selling Words Are CATegorical® series, now a 16-volume set with more than 2.4 million copies in print. He is also the author of the Math Is CATegorical® series and several single titles including The Laugh Stand: Adventures in Humor and Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seussian verse combined with entertaining illustrations., December 20, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: It Looks a Lot Like Reindeer (It Could Be Verse) (Library Binding)

As someone who started reading Dr. Seuss at age three (or so my mom claims), I am usually reluctant to compare anyone's writings to the esteemed Good Doctor. Something about Brian Cleary's "It Looks a Lot Like Reindeer," however, makes me recall some of my favorite Seuss classics, like "Fox in Sox" and "Green Eggs and Ham." Granted, Cleary's rhythmic verse shows the influence of Dr. Theodor Geisel's writings, but the witty punning adds a level of difficulty to the children's lit genre that Seuss never attempted. Though I will stop well short of saying that Cleary is Dr. Seuss reincarnated, I can say without reservation that "It Looks a Lot Like Reindeer" is definitely worth a look