Do Pigs Have Stripes?
Common Sense Note
Children enjoy this fun read-aloud experience. The text encourages the use of exaggerated verbal inflections. Dramatic readers can incorporate animal sounds or actions.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Karyn Wellhousen
The silly, riddle-like questions are appealing to young children. Kids catch on quickly to the predictable text, which lightheartedly mixes up obvious characteristics of animals. Bold, colorful illustrations provide additional clues and focus in on familiar features such as an elephant's feet and a dog's "big black wet nose."
Young children are provided with a meaningful opportunity to develop their sense of humor. The silly suggestions contribute to the child's recognition of animal features and reinforce previously learned concepts. The predictable text and friendly illustrations support preschoolers as they make early attempts at reading by retelling the story.
While preschoolers enjoy the surprise ending (yes, a giraffe does have a long, thin neck) some toddlers find the sudden switch in the predictable text confusing. Also, the title question, which is the focus of the cover illustration, is never answered within the book. One five-year-old reader considered this a grave error.
Books with a similar type of humor include Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing, by Judith Barrett, and Have You Seen My Cat?, by Eric Carle.
From The Book
Are these the antlers of a monkey?
Plot Summary:
When asked, "Does a mouse have a green spiky tail?" children can respond with an enthusiastic "No!" The comical suggestions posed throughout the book make this a fun read-aloud for young children. This experience builds children's confidence in their ability to learn and recall information.
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