Woof Meow Tweet-Tweet

K-Gr 2—Boyer investigates the habitats and activities of a dog, cat, and bird, calling on readers' imaginations by using onomatopoeia in the place of images while observing the animals' differences. Readers see a "WOOF" coming from a doghouse, playing with its master, chasing a ball, jumping for joy, and even peeing on a wall. "Meow" rests comfortably in a padded chair, leaps to a table, and—with feline grace—sidles effortlessly between goblets. "Tweet-tweet," unhappy in a cage, soars into the sky, "sings a happy song" in a tree's branches, leaves a messy "remembrance" on a hat, and meets with other tweet-tweets high on a wire. Halfway through the book, a new narrative follows the three through a possible encounter; an explosion of letters across the spread leaves readers to imagine fur and feathers flying. The book's unique juxtaposition of text, clean graphic images, and font changes might also encourage older readers, noting its text-as-art or perhaps a few new vocabulary words (e.g., "interior," "perched," "encounters"). This simple yet cleverly executed story can be used in multiple ways in various classes and individual settings.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX