Guess Again!: Riddle Poems

by Lillian Morrison, Christy Hale (Illustrator)

Overview

This lyrical picture book of 20 clever riddles challenges young readers to use their imagination to solve the word and picture puzzles."Easy to open, no need to unlock it. Sometimes it's small enough to carry in your pocket. But when it is open it can carry you through fascinating spaces like a far-flying rocket." Who doesn't love riddles? Lillian Morrison and Christy Hale. the collaborators behind the highly acclaimed It Rained All Day That Night, reteam in a clever fusion of poetry and art to pose nearly two dozen original brainteasers. These riddles range from the simple to the silly, and address topics ranging from natural science to language play. This fun collection will have youngsters posing these riddles to others as well as inventing new ones of their own!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780874837308
Publisher:	August House Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	02/20/2006
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.98(w) x 11.35(h) x 0.33(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Lillian Morrison Bio: As the coordinator of young adult services at the New York Public Library, Lillian Morrison collected rhymes and chants from her young patrons that she later compiled into anthologies. Morrison also edited a collection of folk sayings, I Scream, You Scream: A Feast of Food Rhymes. A School Library Journal reviewer wrote that the book,“has the tone of something that really is for kids, who all know the magic of a good, loud chant. Put a copy on your shelf, then put your ear to the window at recess, and see if you don’t hear some of these short verses rising up from the chaos of the schoolyard.” “Lillian Morrison’s contributions to the world of children’s literature and librarianship were many,” said Ellen Ruffin, curator of the de Grummond Collection at University of Southern Mississippi, where Morrison’s papers are housed. “She spent more than forty years as a librarian and wrote children’s poetry books, an unusual combination of both a writer and a practitioner - proof positive of her commitment to children and books.” Her dedication to library services for children led to her receiving the ALA Grolier Award for her contributions in stimulating the interest of young readers.Christy Hale Bio: Christy Hale was born in Massachusetts, but moved to California when she was ten. She considers herself bi-coastal because she has lived for extensive periods in Oregon, New York, and now again in California. She decided to become an author and illustrator when she was ten. Books have always been important to her - not just the stories, but creating the physical books. She learned calligraphy, bookbinding, letterpress printing, and began editing artist books and chapbooks in collaboration with poets. In her early career, she taught art in secondary schools, and then attended Pratt Institute to study illustration and graphic design. She worked for many years at various publishers in New York and became an art director before her first illustrated book was published. She has illustrated more than twenty books and now also wears the author hat. She continues to work as an art director, book designer, and art educator.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 3-Each of the 23 original poems in this collection is accompanied by an illustration that gives a clue to the answer. Solutions are found on the following pages. The riddles range from the simple ("I chewed and I blew./It was the thing to do./Now I can't get it off my nose/and I can't get it off my shoe./Bubblegum") to the more challenging ("It's in the river/but not in the lake./It's in the raindrop/but not the snowflake./The letter R"). The double-page paintings, featuring two golden-haired children interacting and exploring the world around them, are bright, playful, and full of action. A good choice for riddle fans.-Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

More than 20 clever riddles keep the pages turning as two children make their way through their days. Each two-page spread features a rhyming quatrain and an illustration that hints at the answer to the riddle. The following page offers the answer both textually and in the illustration. Unfortunately, what is a good concept fails in execution. The substitutions in meter are sometimes interesting, but overall the meter has the simplistic sing-song pattern of a greeting card. The lines also seem like they are forced in service to the rhyme, instead of letting the rhyme occur organically, in service to the narrative. Additionally, the hints drawn into each scene are too obvious, keeping it from being much of a brainteaser for even a young child. Finally, the illustrations, while colorful, are not enough to keep this book on track. At times clever, but mostly unsatisfying, this just misses its mark. (Poetry. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews