The Punctuation Station [Library Binding]

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2010 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

All aboard! Join a family of giraffes on their journey to Punctuation Station. As the train chugs along, you'll learn the ins and outs of using periods, commas, apostrophes, question marks, hyphens, quotation marks, and exclamation points! Playful rhymes from Brian P. Cleary and colorful illustrations from Joanne Lew-Vriethoff make learning about punctuation fun. So hop on board - this is one train ride you don't want to miss!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1–3—An amiable family of giraffes takes a train trip from Period Plaza Station to Punctuation Station. Along the way, they learn the grammatical rules governing the proper use of the period, comma, apostrophe, question mark, hyphen, exclamation point, and quotation marks. Each punctuation mark is displayed and labeled in colored print, accompanied by rhyming instructions on when and where it is used. The explanations are written in clear and simple language. "The comma is a curly mark./It makes us pause a bit/before a word or phrase, you see./You separate with it." To reinforce the lesson, the giraffes demonstrate the rule in their conversation, which appears in dialogue balloons. The illustrations also incorporate signs and posters showing the properly used punctuation marks. The vibrant art captures the energy of the bustling station crowded with a variety of cartoon animal travelers and the excitement of the train ride itself. A helpful glossary contains brief definitions and sample sentences. Pair this informative and entertaining title with Elsa Knight Bruno's poetic Punctuation Celebration (Holt, 2009).—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About the Author

Brian P. Cleary is the author of the Math Is CATegorical ® series, the Adventures in Memory(tm) series, the Sounds Like Reading ® series, and the best-selling Words Are CATegorical ® series, including Stop and Go, Yes and No: What Is an Antonym?, How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?: What Are Homonyms and Homophones?, and To Root, to Toot, to Parachute: What Is a Verb? He is also the author of Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry, Rhyme and PUNishment: Adventures in Wordplay, Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book, The Laugh Stand: Adventures in Humor, and The Punctuation Station. In addition to his work as a children's author, Mr. Cleary has served as a tutor in an adult literacy program.

Joanne Lew-Vriethoff finds inspiration in everything from traveling to Bollywood music to making art with her children. She collects children's books and loves vampires and werewolves. She lives in Amsterdam with her husband and two children.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 37 pages
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (March 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822578522
• ISBN-13: 978-0822578529
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 10.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #522,069 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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different Brian Cleary, May 9, 2010

By 

Lovebooks (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Punctuation Station (Library Binding)

We are fanatical fans of Brian Cleary's "Words are Categorical" series. If you haven't read those yet, do your kids and yourself a favor and get one. They are appropriate from under 5 to Middle School. When I noticed he now had a punctuation book we had to have it.

The illustrator and format is quite different from the Words are Categorical series. It is set up like a picture book and it is very cute. The storyline is amusing. It is geared towards the 4 to 7 year old set. Both my kids really enjoyed it but my 5 year old more so since punctuation is a somewhat new concept to him. We read it over and over and he loves to find interesting things in the pictures. He has definitely learned about punctuation.

What we have always liked about Brian Cleary is that his books are fun but very educational. I've used them as an ESL teacher in Japan as well as a homeschooling family and have leant them to other homeschooling families. This doesn't disappoint on that front. The kids learn and are entertained at the same time. Although it is for younger kids, I still highly recommend it. If you can get your kids to learn in a pleasant, non-threatening way on any subject I believe it makes their academic career much easier.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasing punctuation primer, April 19, 2010

By 

Bri Meets Books (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Punctuation Station (Library Binding)

Where does a period go? What's the proper use of a comma? When learning the proper rules of grammar, sometimes remembering the rules of punctuation can be really tricky, particularly for children. Brian P. Cleary's The Punctuation Station illustrates how to use apostrophes, hyphens, etc and more in a clever rhyming trip with a family of giraffes.

Starting at Period Plaza, amongst other animals such as alligators, elephants, and cows, the giraffe family start their journey. Their destination? Punctuation Station.

Throughout their trip, they'll find how to use these marks.

These little signs will tell you when it's time to stop or pause

or help you tell a question from a sentence, phrase, or clause. - pg. 10

Signs and dialogue help point the giraffes (and children) on the right way to using punctuation marks. The illustrations of Punctuation Station make it a fun and zany colorful read. The bold text and jokes ("Excuse me, who catches all the running trains?") are visually appealing, and will attract the readers to follow the journey. Along the way, they'll be treated to the antics of a variety of animals, while learning effortlessly the proper use of the marks. After the lessons have been learned, children can return to this book to take in its depictions of bustling animals, there's much too many details to be noticed on a first read. If in need of a refresher, the end pages contain a punctuation primer.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, December 8, 2011

By 

L. Moore (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Punctuation Station (Library Binding)

I used this book for a Direct Teach in a fifth grade classroom and the children loved it! The book is very descriptive and helps the students know the differences of punctuation. The book was in great condition as well!