REVIEW: Rhyming Dust Bunnies

Thomas, J.  (2009).  Rhyming Dust Bunnies.  New York:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

141697976x


Appetizer:  Dust Bunnies named Ed, Ned, Ted and...erm, Bob rhyme.  All the time.  As the dust bunnies try to think of words that rhyme, Bob often has trouble getting the right answer.  But then, he may be answering a different question, of sorts.

Crud.  I wish the dust bunnies on my floor rhymed all the time.  That or walked their own ways into my vacuum or trash.  OR both!  Is that so much to ask?  Talking, rhyming, walking dust bunnies.

Wait.

For a dust bunny to walk, talk and rhyme...they'd...they'd have to be highly evolved.  In fact, I think a rhyming dust bunny would have to be smarter that me.  *glances around my place*  They'd also out number me.  They could defeat me easily....

Few but dear readers of the internetz, I'm now afraid of my dust bunnies.  Eeeeek.

But seriously, imaginary internetz friends, I am entertained.  On a nerdy level.  Rhyming Dust Bunnies can be viewed as an instance of a prophetic individual battling the silencing force of...oh, everyone else.  (Where else have you encountered that in literature?  Politics?)  But, what's awesome about Rhyming Dust Bunnies is that this plot is achieved with so few pages and words.  And with lots of rhyming.

I do like rhyming.


Dinner Conversation:

"Hey!  What rhymes with car?"

"Far, jar, tar, look!"

"No, Bob..."Look!" does not rhyme with car!"


To Go with the Meal:

I like this book guys.  It has a lot of potential uses.  This can be a good way to introduce new readers to the weird word, "rhyme."  I say word because chances are good the wee-little children will already love to play with sounds and rhyme all on their own with very little encouragement on the part of the teacher.  Chances are good a teacher also won't have to push too much to get students to yell out words that rhyme with the vocabulary in the story.

The book could also be used to discuss what dust bunnies are, how they form and how a young child, mastering the art of grasping, can even help adults to get rid of the dust.

Since must of this picture book takes on the form of question and answer, a teacher can use this to encourage young children to speak up and answer questions in the classroom (even after they get questions wrong!)


Tasty Rating:  !!!!