Nothing At All [Hardcover]

Denys Cazet (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

The scarecrow is used to the usual commotion of a farm morning. Out in his field he has "nothing at all" to say about any of it. One morning a mouse skitters up his pant leg, and the stuffed fellow goes wild with dancing. The text invites participation from the youngest listeners. The pictures are the author's boldest--ideal for story-time sharing. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Animated, large-scale illustrations convey most of the humor in Cazet's ( "I'm Not Sleepy' '; Born in the Gravy ) slight yet peppy tale. Perched on the arm of a scarecrow, a rooster with a megaphone issues his traditional wake-up call, and the animals respond with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The horse announces, "I slept like a filly!" but the cow "woke up with a kink in her back, indigestion, a headache, an udder attack." The scarecrow, however, says "nothing at all." His silence ends after a cat decides to breakfast on a mouse--who in turn seeks refuge in the scarecrow. Suddenly, the straw-stuffed creature exclaims: "THERE'S A MOUSE IN MY PANTS!" The text's tempo picks up as Cazet describes the scarecrow's antics: "He pursed his lips / And jiggled his hips / And performed three backward / Double back flips." These acrobatics leave him headless and unstuffed (which may upset the littlest listeners), but the scarecrow does pull himself back together. The scarecrow's eyes bulge in shock; anxious pigs suck on their hooves--loopy exaggerations nicely geared to preschoolers. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-A rooster wakes the barnyard with a megaphone, and in rhyming couplets accompanied by double-page watercolor-and-pencil illustrations, Cazet shows each animal's reaction. If this sounds like just another pleasant animal tale, forget it! From the cover illustration, depicting a sleepy-eyed cow in a flowered cap preparing to turn on the shower, to the last page, readers are in for a zany morning on the farm. This story has everything: rhyme, repetitive language so helpful to beginning readers, humorous illustrations that capture each creature perfectly, and, best of all, a surpise ending. Animal responses in bold print or italics invite children to assume the different roles. And they're sure to join in with "Nothing at all!" in response to the repeated question of what the scarecrow in the meadow has to say about all the confusion. Another Cazet triumph that will delight audiences!-Marianne Saccardi, Whitby School American Montessori Center, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531068226
• ISBN-13: 978-0531068229
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,343,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun to read!, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Nothing At All (Hardcover)

This is such a lighthearted, fun book to read. It's the kind of book that never seems to get put away. The pages are filled with silly pictures so everytime it's read, you discover something new that you didn't see before. This is one of my favorite children's books.