Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5^-8. For children who believe learning grammar can't be fun, here's something fresh to consider: a sparkling look at verbs ("words that show action or being") that might just change their minds. It's not the writer's first dance with elements of the English language. He's tackled other grammar basics in previous books in the Words Are Categorical series--among them, Hairy, Scary, Ordinary [BLK Je 1 & 15 00], which introduced adjectives. But there is something special about this verbal adventure. Cleary's energy and sunny choice of words make the book lively and delightfully bright, a feeling reinforced by the action-packed illustrations scattered across the pages. Children can use the book in class or at home with help from a grown-up. The author proves once again that "educational" doesn't have to mean dumpy and dull. --Kelly Milner Halls
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Jog or juggle, jig or leap, Verbs can tire you out a heap." Author Brian P. Cleary and illustrator Jenya Prosmitsky have teamed up again to give young readers a grammar lesson in To Root, to Toot, to Parachute: What Is a Verb?, a worthy companion to A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? and Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? Prosmitsky's signature silly cats act and act and act! Aspiring writers will know by the end of this book that, "If it's an action, it's a verb!" ( Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-Humorous rhymes present a simple overview of a part of speech that can be quite complex, and the accompanying slapstick cartoons of cavorting cats provide just the right touch of cheeky humor. Together, they painlessly teach a grammar lesson about a word that shows action or being. Ruth Heller's Kites Sail High (Grosset & Dunlap, 1988) is richly illustrated but much harder to understand. To Root, to Toot explains verbs without using terms such as: subjunctive, imperative and indicative mood, active and passive voice, tense, regular and irregular. After reading Cleary's book, young students should be able to answer the question, "What is a verb?" Useful for any collection.-Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A colorful cast of big-nosed cartoon cat characters illustrate a series of rhyming examples of verbs: To dare, defend, descend, disturb--If it's an action, it's a verb! Verbs in the text, including to be and present participles, appear in colored print. Since the book depends so heavily on examples, readers may miss the bigger concept, but they'll still find the lesson entertaining. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Corny, looping lists of words figure again in Cleary's latest "Words Are Categorical" book. Working in rhyme, Cleary presents a flurry of verbs to readersoften in humorous juxtapositionand a sprinkling of grammatical rules. "Whether you scale a wall or a fish, / Make a design on a cup or a dish, / Take out the garbage, or sharpen your knife / Verbs are apart of your everyday life." There are a lot of verbs here, often coming at the reader in relentless waves, which Prosmitsky endeavors to make merry with her cartoon cast of dizzy cats. "Verbs are words like sing and dance, / Pray or practice, preach or prance, / Toss and tumble, jump and jam, / Whine and whisper, sleep and slam." Prosmitsky provides loads of visual clues as to the action that is taking place, and colored type cues readers as to which word is the verb. There is no denying that through all the goofery, a notion of verbs comes through, if from nothing other than inundation. A final page is provided for kids to test their newfound ability to identify the word showing the action or being. (Picture book. 7-9)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
