Monday, April 27, 2009

Read Aloud 2004 Award SkippyJon Jones Ages 4-8

2004 Winner

SkippyJon Jones, by Judith Byron Schachner PREVIEW

Unique, quirky and memorable, SkippyJon Jones is chock-full of rhyme and rhythm. A Siamese kitten, who imagines himself to be a Chihuahua and a sword fighter - anything except an ordinary cat - is the star of this book. The story takes young readers on a wild ride in which they can't help but join along with sing-along songs and chants. Peppered with Spanish expressions and full of energized fun, SkippyJon Jones is not only entertaining for the listener, it's also enjoyable for the reader.

Judith Byron Schachner has been illustrating and writing children's books since 1992.She has illustrated many of her own stories as well as those written by others. Her artwork has been called "absolutely delightful" by School Library Journal. In 1999, her book Mr. Emerson's Cook was among the Carolyn Field Notable Books.

To find out more about Judith Schachner, visit her web site.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3 Ages 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 -This is a wildly wonderful book about a hyperactive kitten, Skippyjon Jones, whose head and ears are too big for his body, and whose imagination is too intense for his mama. According to her, he needs to do some serious thinking about what it means to be a Siamese cat instead of a bird (Skippyjon always wakes up and eats worms with his feathered friends). She sends him to his room, where he imagines he is a Chihuahua ("My name is Skippito Friskito./I fear not a single bandito"). Chock-full of rhyming chants and Spanish expressions, the feline's adventure as a doggy Zorro ends in chaos. His frazzled mother gives him a hug anyway and says, "Say good night, Skippyjon Jones." "Buenas noches, mis amigos," says the kitten, as he bounces on his bed all ready for another adventure. The buoyant and colorful cartoon illustrations match the exuberant text perfectly. Spanish-speaking children will be especially delighted by the words and humor; others may be a little bewildered by all of the foreign phrases and will need some explanation, but the story definitely has the potential of a fun read-aloud. A good multicultural offering.
Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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