Boy Wonders

Gr 1–4—The title of Calef Brown's book (Atheneum, 2011) is a play on words, indicating that a young boy wonders about the world, and that the book is full of questions posed by the boy. Curious questions and interesting puzzles are introduced as the boy shares his thoughts. The book is composed of humorous rhymes, such as: "Are phones annoyed if no one calls? Do ants, when anxious, climb the walls?" The "wonders" are quirky and humorous, so older students are sure to get a kick out of the silly questions and play on words. They might come up with new questions of their own or it might be fun to have them discuss possible responses to the questions. Younger children may have trouble with some of the vocabulary and concepts, but will still enjoy the rhyming text. Greg Steinbruner reads Calef Brown's book (Atheneum, 2011) clearly, but in somewhat of a monotone. Listeners may want to have the book on hand to peruse Brown's illustrations and see some of the unusual words spelled out, like cantankerous and wherewithal. Overall, this fun, rhyming story could be used in poetry or vocabulary lessons.—Jenny Ventling, Dayton Metro Library, OH