Froodle

PreS-K—All of the birds say, "caw," "coo," "chip," or "peep," except Little Brown Bird, who wants to try something different. She finds it more enjoyable to say things like, "Froodle sproodle" and "Tiffle biffle,/just a little/miffle!" Crow is annoyed, especially when the other birds join in, but who could resist participating in fun like this? Portis's fun story is filled with humor and silly rhyming words that both children and adults will appreciate. The detailed illustrations, done in a glowing palette of pencil, charcoal, and ink, are featured on multiple spreads throughout the book. Although the narrative text is small and gets lost in a sea of grass or bushes at times, the birds' speech balloons are bold and provide a great opportunity for children to practice sounding out words (even if they are made up). The cadence of the birds' dialogue might take a few read-throughs to get used to, but that will only provide more laughs in the meantime. This book will work in many settings and is certain to prompt giggles from young audiences.—Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID