________________ CM . . . . Volume XX Number 35. . . .May 9, 2014

cover

Splat! Starring the Vole Brothers.

Roslyn Schwartz.
Toronto, ON: Owlkids Books, 2014.
32 pp., hardcover, $16.95.
ISBN 978-1-77147-009-4.

Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 3-7.

Review by Reesa Cohen.

***1/2 /4

   

 

The Vole brothers are back!! And in fine form with another simple and wonderful adventure created so cleverly by Roslyn Schwartz. Off on a stroll one day, with a "Tum ti tum ti tum", the brothers hear the "flap flap" of a pigeon flying above, and, before long, one brother is the recipient of a SPLAT on his head, much to the delight of the other brother who finds the the situation just hilarious. This doesn't sit well with the "splatted" one who finds a way to get back at his brother, and then the offending pigeon is dealt with. A banana peel also has a starring role in the twisted ending.

internal art     Well, you just have to be there... or rather hear this almost wordless comedic tale. Splat makes effective use of sounds, sight gags, one syllable words, gestures, and repetition that will engage very young children. The illustrations, rendered in ink and pencil crayons, are expressive and full of comedy. The sparse text and colourful, but exaggerated actions of the drawings work well together. Young readers should be encouraged to retell the tale. Splat is visual storytelling at its best and would make a great animated short film.





Highly Recommended.

Reesa Cohen is a retired Instructor of Children’s Literature and Information Literacy at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

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