Ring! Yo? [Hardcover]

Chris Raschka (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Series: Richard Jackson Books (DK Ink)

The friends from the author's Caldecott Honor Book Yo! Yes? Meet again...telephonically. We hope, when the phone rings, that a friend will be calling, someone who "talks our language." In Chris Raschka's picture books, language is always important--and usually just the top layer of the story. Beneath what is said, other dramas are taking place. Such is the case with Ring! Yo? For, until the end, when both friends are shown, young listeners will have the chance to fill in for themselves half of the phone conversation. Of course, the body language of the boy we see is eloquent. We hear what he's hearing--and it isn't all happy. His friend is peeved, feels rejected. And so this afternoon he'll be playing with someone else. That's harsh news--our boy is so sunk, he literally falls off the page--but it's not the end of the story. No, the author-artist goes somewhere surprising from there. Children and inventive grown-ups will eagerly follow.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Proving once again that Raschka dances to a different drummer, this engaging picture book bounds off in a wholly original direction and features a return engagement by the two friends from Yo! Yes? Here, readers find themselves privy to half of a conversation as, Hollywood-style, they watch one boy respond to what is being said on the other end of the conversation. The rest is left to the imagination, although Raschka does step in at the end to offer one possible scenario. A master of minimalism, he packs a punch with just a few chosen images and words ("Hey! Uh huh. No. You?"). His artwork is all line and suggestion, and despite the static "stage set" on which the action takes place, his choreography more than compensates. With a quick scratch of pastels and a swipe of watercolor, the boy fidgets and grimaces, his face erupting in rage, collapsing in sadness and lighting up with joy as he chats with his friend ("What? You are? When?"). The clever conceit engages the audience; once readers understand the premise, there's a lot of latitude for creativity as they imagine exactly what is happening on the other end of the line. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-The two boys whose friendship began in Raschka's Yo! Yes? (Orchard, 1993) are back, this time talking on the phone. Readers see only one youngster's remarks and facial expressions and are left to imagine the conversation at the other end of the line. At the end of the book, children are asked, "Hey! What just happened there? Was it this?" and are treated to a two-sided conversation that might have occurred-"Or was it something else?" The pastel-and-watercolor illustrations, all with lots of white background space and a word or two in cut-paper letters, wonderfully capture a wide range of emotions. The conversing boy's body language and facial expressions extend the story far beyond the brief text, "Um," "Why?" and "We will?" This imaginative view of the half conversations that are often overheard in daily life is sure to lead to lively classroom and storyhour discussions and give primary-grade teachers some good ideas for creative-writing projects.
Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: DK Publishing; 1st edition (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789426145
• ISBN-13: 978-0789426147
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,002,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let Your Imagination Soar..., March 24, 2001

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ring! Yo? (Hardcover)

The phone rings...Ring! A boy answers...Yo? and we're off and running, eavesdropping on one half of a telephone conversation. What are they talking about? What's happened? Can you imagine the other person's response, the person we can't see or hear? Christopher Raschka has written a one of a kind, inventive picture book that lets imaginations soar as youngsters get to create the story line and write the other half of this one sided conversation. His wonderful artwork, full of facial expressions and body language will give kids clues as they fill in the missing text. With a sample conversation at the end to get you started, children 5 and up will have hours of fun creating new scenarios and lines to complete this phone call.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raschka strikes again!, March 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ring! Yo? (Hardcover)

Rejoin two friends from Yo! Yes? add a telephone, include somebody language and about 40 words and you have another cleverlydramatic tale from Chris Raschka. Kids will enjoy this book and Librarians, too.