GREEDY APOSTROPHE

It’s not easy to explain the rules of punctuation in a clear and concise manner, but Carr and Long have succeeded not only in explaining the use of the apostrophe, but also in making this punctuation mark into the main character in a witty story. Greedy Apostrophe wants to get into the action all the time, inserting himself into words when he doesn’t belong, especially in plural nouns. The clever text explains some fairly complex punctuation rules in a humorous way that certainly beats any boring grammar workbook. Cartoon-style illustrations in bright citrus shades help get the punctuation points across effectively, with Greedy’s mistaken entries highlighted in his trademark red. Elementary-school teachers will want to give Greedy Apostrophe a gold star for his efforts, for it’s a rare teaching tool that conveys its lessons while being funny as well. (Picture book. 6-11)