FICTION

Please Say Please!

by Kyle T. WEBSTER
Please Say Please! illus. by Kyle T. Webster. 32p. Scholastic. Jul. 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545844857.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—A girl makes demands of an older gentleman in an orange tuxedo. In rhyming text, the man reminds her of the importance and power of the word please. The girl keeps demanding everything from a fish to food to a giant. And the older gentleman keeps telling her to use her manners. He isn't eager to give her the giant, but, finally, in the face of her polite request, he grants her desire. Then it becomes the girl's turn to encourage the use of manners. The bright colors and sophisticated graphic-style cartoons add humor to the clearly defined purpose of the book. The dark, solid lines of the girl and the older gentleman draw viewers' eyes.
VERDICT An amusing etiquette lesson, perfect for storytimes or one-on-one sharing.
Reviewed by Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT
Each of a girl's demands (e.g., "I want a CAT. I want a CAT!") is met with rhymed resistance ("Sorry--I can't respond to that!") by a mustachioed master-of-ceremonies type. When the girl says the magic word, he gives her more than she asks for (e.g., a tiger). With snappy rhymes and winsome art, this etiquette lesson wisely doesn't advertise itself as such.
 , Jul 01, 2016

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