Customer Reviews

Yo! Yes? (Scholastic Bookshelf)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Yo! Yes? is the first book I read to my class each school year. We use it in several ways. First, I explain to my class that sometimes we need a way to focus our attention. So when I say Yo!, they should say Yes? and then stop talking and listen carefully. Next we use this as a guided reading book so that the children can practice how to use punctuation to decide voice inflection when reading. Later still we use the book as a springboard for a discussion of Conflict Mediation and then friendship. I love this book and so do the children in my multiage classroom because in so few words it conveys so much.

When I first saw this book I immediately purchased it at the Scholastic book fair. I then translated it in French & Spanish (available upon request!). It makes a great beginning ESL book as is & foreign language pronoun and pronunciation book because of its simple question/answer and comment structure between two buddies, appropriately of different ethnic/racial backgrounds. Kids really respond to this (& even adults!) in foreign language classrooms, wanting to mimic the dialogue. I often separate the class (left/right or boys/girls) to do so. Great fun way to memorize dialogue and learn proper intonation.

My 17 month old daughter adores this book and will probably have it memorized, gestures and all, within the month. Inflection is key here and it's something babies start to work on even before they know words. The story is meant for an older (pre-school) audience, but the fun-with-language aspect of this book makes it great for even the littlest listeners.

This short children's book is about two lonely boys, one Caucasian the other African-American, who meet on a street and become friends, speaking with only monosyllabic words. It's a story that has happened to all of us at one time or another. The book was a 1994 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children.

Raschka's use of rhythmic one-syllable words to tell a tale of two boys meeting, engaging in getting to know each other, and becoming friends, is complemented by his quirky illustrations. Yo! Yes? teaches children the value of listening to the other person and watching that person's body language to fully understand their intentions. Moreover, the simplistic and repetitive wording is perfect for that "first reader".

This is a terrific book for its targeted audience of pre-school to Grade 2 children, but it may be too simplistic for an advanced second grade reader. However, Raschka's story of newfound friendship camaraderie is definitely one to share with your children.

This book beautifully illustrates the delicate birth of a friendship and the vast importance of body language in communication. Because the text is so sparse the reader has to take the two boys posture and facial expressions to find the correct context. I read it to preschoolers as part of our social skills curriculum. Being able to correctly assess another's emotions is an important skill that preschool age children are beginning to aquire. They are also very interested in starting new friendships. This makes this book a timely story to read to preschool children.

"Yo! Yes?" is a unique picture book that uses only 31 words, usually no more than 2 on a page, to tell a whole story involving two boys who discover they can be friends. Beautiful in its simplicity, the book also makes good use of Raschka's expressive art style. Indeed, the book is his masterpiece; since then he has applied his visual talents to a series of minor disasters, among them the picture books "Arlene Sardine" and "Like Likes Like." It's a shame that his reputation has had to dwindle so, but I still keep hoping he will come up with another good one like this. He has done a sequel called "Ring! Yo?" which is slightly more complicated than this one.

This books allows the reader and the audience to explore the magical world of voice inflection. With it's one word dialogue and punctuation for inflection, we learn the true meaning of friendship in a "brief" format. Chris Raschka has ingeniously forces the reader to be expressive to get the message of friendship across. Superbly crafted. Bravo, Chris!

This book was my 6 year old daughter's favorite book in 1996 and now it has quickly become my 22 month old son's favorite book too! He already knows all of the words. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with small children!

This. Book. Rocks. It's one of those read alouds where the whole class goes silent. I know - your loving it even more now! But the silence is because they are secretly hoping for something special to happen...an awesome thing called friendship. I've had classes clap after I finish reading. Yep, they are totally clapping for friendship. Pretty sweet. Yo! Yes? has been a wonderful teaching tool. It's helped kids on both sides of the friendship spectrum from shy to outgoing. There's all kinds of goodness you can do with this book. Sincere questions I ask students: How can you reach out to someone you'd like to be friends with? How can you spot someone who is lonely and reach out to them with your friendship? Have you ever had a friendship similar to Yo! Yes? What do you notice is different about the boys? You get what I'm saying here - there are many discussion starters and role play scenarios to be used as teachable moments. Allow your child or students to read this out loud to you. They really get into the fluency, tone, and body language.