Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Review: Let’s say HI to friends who fly!


Let’s say HI to friends who fly! by Mo Willems. 2010. 24 pgs. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. 9780061728426. Format reviewed: Hardcover.

Annotation: Cat the cat greets all of her friends on the playground who can fly—until she meets a friend who may not be able to lift off.
Reaction: The simple drawing and basic colors are pure Willems, combining his sparse text with expressive images. When we meet all of the animal friends who can fly on the playground, we turn the page to a moronic-looking Rhinoceros. Cat, and the other animals are in on the joke- there is no way he can fly, until the next page, where he is jetting across the spread in an airplane, to the shock of Cat and friends. My four year old daughter LOVED the surprise and asked to read it again.  
Primary early literacy skills: Print motivation. The easy, expressive illustrations combined with the straightforward dialogue and surprise twist at the end make for a quick read that children will enjoy many times over.
Recommended ages: Ages 2 and older.
Tags/themes: Cats, flying animals, playgrounds, airplanes. 
Author site/additional titles: www.mowillems.com

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