Amazon.com Review
Ook the Book seems like it's been around forever, dog-eared from decades of readings and rereadings. It could be the jaunty Seussian rhythms at play, but it has a classic quirkiness all its own--a blend of Calef Brown's
Polkabats and Octopus Slacks and the good Dr. Seuss's
The Cat in the Hat. With poem titles from "Ug the Bug" to "Eep the Sheep," you can see that the rhyme is not exactly subtle. Therein lies its charm. Take "Ow the Cow":
I am Ow,
Ow the cow.
I can bark.
Bow wow wow.
Don't ask my why,
don't ask me how.
I am just that kind
of cow.
While its simple rhymes make it perfect for building early reading skills, Shannon McNeill's action-packed illustrations (awash in a delicious color palette) give readers of all ages plenty to snicker over. In "Ake the Snake," for example, the snake has a cake, because he can bake. The snake, coiled by the lake (sporting a cupcake chef's hat) is surrounded by baking ingredients and two tiny green traumatized bugs, who have indeed tried to take the snake cake, and therefore are being flung screaming into the lake, much to the dismay of another bug hiding behind a sack of what might be flour. We think it's gutsy to write a poem as simple as "I am At, / At the cat. / Do you see Pat? / He is my rat. / I sat on Pat, / so he is flat." And we like it. (Pat the flat rat doesn't look too happy about it, however.) A wonderful primer for wee ones just starting to have fun with words. (Ages 2 to 5)
--Karin Snelson
From Publishers Weekly
Rovetch (Sweet Dreams Little One) composes repetitive chants around single-syllable words, and the results are as catchy as they are vapid. The author creates names like "Ake the Snake" and "Eep the Sheep" by dropping initial letters. Then she toys with the ones that are left over by substituting new consonants. Title character "Ook the Book" sits down to tea, declaring, "I am Ook,/ Ook the book./ Do you see me in my nook?" Ug the Bug introduces a friend, Glug the slug, and asks, "Do you want a bug slug hug?" Altered words appear in large, bold letters for added emphasis. McNeill (Albert Goes to Town) embraces the nonsensical scenarios with pink skies and lollipop trees; her gouaches present a worm's-eye view of a grassy garden, where the speakers frolic with roly-poly gray rats, picnic-crashing green ants and a mischievous Id the Kid. The artist brings everyone together for a closing spread where "Y the Fly" sniffs, "I will try not to cry./ But my, it's hard to say goodbye!" Compulsive rhymers should proceed with caution they may launch into an unstoppable word game. Ages 2-6.
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