Buzz
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that kids enjoy the charming story and familiar domestic scenes. Lyrical writing encourages kids to repeat sounds and words. Bold, patterned art enlivens the text.
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What's the story?
A bee flies by the window. Buzz. Mommy and Daddy are snoring, and the alarm clock sounds. Buzzbuzz. Daddy shaves and the gardener mows the lawn. Buzzzzz! It's morning and the whole house is waking up to buzzes, hums, and beeps in this delightfully noisy picture book about one little boy's morning routine, all set against glorious patterned illustrations.
Is it any good?
Accompanying the graceful, sometimes rhyming prose are double-page spreads with artfully cropped close-up images. Illustrator Margaret Chodos-Irving uses printmaking techniques to add pattern and texture to her bold, colorful compositions. The perspectives are interesting and varied, from the overhead view of the kitchen at breakfast time to an ankle-high image of Mommy dashing off in her bee-colored socks. The sharply contrasting colors and block-style images, and Mom in her '50s-style swing coat, give the art a playful retro feel that enhances the book's charm as well as its adult appeal.
When read to a gathering of 3- to 6-year-olds, the group was abuzz. By the sixth page everyone, including the youngest ones, were anticipating the word buzz and repeating it. Long after the reading, many of the children still chanted the buzz-word amid peals of giggles.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about their morning routines. What noises mark the start of your day?
Book details
- Author: Janet S. Wong
- Illustrator: Margaret Chodos-Irvine
- Genre: Picture Book
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Harcourt Brace
- Publication date: May 1, 2000
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 7
- Number of pages: 32
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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