The Book That Almost Rhymed

November 27, 2023
Abed’s rhyming prowess propels this sprightly picture book that follows two siblings jointly composing an adventure. Employing simple couplets, a tan-skinned youth sets the scene: “The other day I wrote this book./ You won’t believe how long it took.” Enter brown-skinned sis, who disrupts the lines with jarring concluding phrases (“She ruined every rhyming verse,/ so now my story sounds much—// MORE MAGNIFICENT!”). The narrator persists in trying to craft the conventional tale of a knight’s daring search for treasure, but plot twists abound as the sister’s alternatives insert a rocket, dancing pirates, and a fire-breathing armadillo. Just as the conceit seems clear, the suggestions become workable rhymes, and the siblings at last find a collaborative scheme. Aly’s energetic digital renderings lean on graphics and sketched overlays to capture the duo’s narrative exploits. Ages 3–7.

Starred review from December 1, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 *Starred Review* A capable, imaginative boy has just written a series of rhyming verses that tell of imaginary adventures. He begins with, "The other day I wrote this book. / You won't believe how long it took . . . / But then my sister came along, and now the story sounds all wro--" "BETTER!" calls his energetic little sibling, just in time to override his rhyming last word with her non-rhyming one. In their ever-changing, illogical story, a knight searching for treasure is wrenched into space and then taken aboard a pirate ship. He escapes but must face a fierce armadillo attack. Each verse begins with the boy's smooth, self-satisfied verse, which is then wrenched into chaos by his sister's nonsensical ending word. The pattern repeats itself until the boy realizes that her last words rhyme with each other, adding another dimension to the verse. The book will find its perfect audience among children old enough to predict possible rhyming words but young enough to enjoy the silliness of the unexpected ending words and the chaos that springs from each unexpected plot twist. Reflecting the madcap quality of the verse, vivid, expressive illustrations capture the characters' shifting emotions, while creating lively backdrops for imagined events. A picture book that's sure to amuse young children.

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January 1, 2024
A little sister adds a unique spin to her brother's story. A boy who's proud of his rhyming prowess has written a book in verse. As he recounts his story, his younger sib repeatedly butts in and completes each stanza with her own peculiar, non-rhyming twists that take his masterpiece in riotous directions. Readers will mostly figure out what the brother's "real" rhyming word should be in almost every interrupted instance throughout, courtesy of the author's strong hints (for instance, cutting off part of the intended word with hyphens). Thereafter, the author assumes missing rhyming words are obvious enough that further hints are unnecessary, though picture clues help. For example, little sis chimes in with "his pocket" when "book" is clearly intended, and so on for the duration of this clever, humorous exercise in poetry appreciation, wordplay, and vocabulary development. The brother complains that his sibling's spoiled his rhyme scheme, but when he takes a closer look at her additions, he realizes there was a method to her madness. All's forgiven, and the brother acknowledges she's a "rhyming prodigy." Readers will appreciate these rollicking rhymes and laugh at the sister's out-there ideas. The comical digital illustrations will elicit chuckles. The boy's dialogue is set in blue type, while the sister's is in red and emphatically boldfaced. The brother is tan-skinned; his sister is brown-skinned. Readers will have a fine time with these rhymes and certainly won't be averse to the verse. (Picture book. 5-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2024
Our narrator was proud to have written a book in rhyme...and then little sister came along with her crayon and ruined it. Or did she? Frustrated, the narrator tries to tell the story aloud, with frequent sisterly interruptions that usually add positivity but disrupt where the rhyme seems to be going: "'She tagged along to join the action, / but mostly was a huge distrac -- ' // 'A HELPFUL NEW PERSPECTIVE!'" Between the sibling dynamics and the element of surprise that eventually becomes a recognizable pattern, the story is funny throughout (though its meter has some missteps). But the real payoff comes with a revelation at the end, which will likely prompt readers to go back and look more closely at the sister's contributions, aided by the differentiated font colors for each speaker. The illustrations, "developed digitally with some use of scanned traditional media textures, ink washes, and patterns," match the do-it-yourself imaginativeness of the text; the casual depiction of siblings with different skin tones is another plus. Shoshana Flax

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 24, 2024

K-Gr 3-Creativity, imagination, and humor run wild in this story of a young protagonist thwarted by his younger sister. Despite his every effort to write a story filled with knights and treasure, she barges in, spoiling his perfect rhymes at each page turn, and pitching the story in one silly direction after the other. Frustrated at first to be sent into outer space, dropped onto a ship full of dancing pirates, and attacked by a fire-breathing armadillo, he begins to realize her contributions actually do have a rhyme and reason. In an if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them turn, he rolls with her creativity, and they embark together on a new adventure. This is clearly Interrupting Chicken meets Harold and the Purple Crayon. Aly's illustrations are vibrant and full of the action and energy relayed in the text. VERDICT Funny and wildly unpredictable, this will be a read-aloud hit. Recommended for all picture book collections.-Jennifer Noonan

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
Our narrator was proud to have written a book in rhyme...and then little sister came along with her crayon and ruined it. Or did she? Frustrated, the narrator tries to tell the story aloud, with frequent sisterly interruptions that usually add positivity but disrupt where the rhyme seems to be going: "'She tagged along to join the action, / but mostly was a huge distrac -- ' // 'A HELPFUL NEW PERSPECTIVE!'" Between the sibling dynamics and the element of surprise that eventually becomes a recognizable pattern, the story is funny throughout (though its meter has some missteps). But the real payoff comes with a revelation at the end, which will likely prompt readers to go back and look more closely at the sister's contributions, aided by the differentiated font colors for each speaker. The illustrations, "developed digitally with some use of scanned traditional media textures, ink washes, and patterns," match the do-it-yourself imaginativeness of the text; the casual depiction of siblings with different skin tones is another plus.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)