This Level 3 first reader containing riddles about sports and games will get kids laughing and reading.
May 1, 2004
K-Gr 3-These titles provide budding comedians with material in an easy-to-read format. In Funtime, the riddles focus on sports and leisure-time activities (e.g., "Why don't cheetahs like to play hide and seek? Because they're always spotted"), while the quips in Recess are school oriented ("Why is the library the tallest part of the school? Because it has so many stories"). Most of the selections are plays on words, which will encourage young readers to think about the meanings of the terms. The cartoon illustrations are amusing and also help to explain the jokes. Riddle books encourage even reluctant readers to persevere in order to get to the punch line and these offerings are appealing choices.-Cynde Suite, Bartow County Library System, Adairsville, GA
Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
June 1, 2004
Reviewed with Marilyn Helmer's " Recess Riddles" .
Gr. 2-3. "Why is it no fun to play soccer with pigs? Because they always hog the ball." The picture shows one furious kid left out while the pigs play. " Funtime" is the better title here, with some hilarious puns in words and pictures--from tigers getting their exercise on the jungle gym to the hockey player covered with chicken pucks. The scenarios in " Recess" are classroom and schoolyard, and some of the wordplay will evoke more groans than giggles (the little snake's best subject is "Hiss-story"). But both books in the Kids Can Read series show and tell the fun of reading and the weird meanings to be found in words. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2004
"Funtime" contains riddles about sports, "Recess" about school activities. Some riddles are old hat ("Why are fish such good students?" "Because they like to hang around in schools"); others rely on painfully labored puns, such as referring to friendly school authorities as "princi-pals." Each riddle is presented on a single page and accompanied by an energetic color image.
(Copyright 2004 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)