THE BOOK THAT ALMOST RHYMED

A little sister adds a unique spin to her brother’s story.

A boy who’s proud of his rhyming prowess has written a book in verse. As he recounts his story, his younger sib repeatedly butts in and completes each stanza with her own peculiar, non-rhyming twists that take his masterpiece in riotous directions. Readers will mostly figure out what the brother’s “real” rhyming word should be in almost every interrupted instance throughout, courtesy of the author’s strong hints (for instance, cutting off part of the intended word with hyphens). Thereafter, the author assumes missing rhyming words are obvious enough that further hints are unnecessary, though picture clues help. For example, little sis chimes in with “his pocket” when “book” is clearly intended, and so on for the duration of this clever, humorous exercise in poetry appreciation, wordplay, and vocabulary development. The brother complains that his sibling’s spoiled his rhyme scheme, but when he takes a closer look at her additions, he realizes there was a method to her madness. All’s forgiven, and the brother acknowledges she’s a “rhyming prodigy.” Readers will appreciate these rollicking rhymes and laugh at the sister’s out-there ideas. The comical digital illustrations will elicit chuckles. The boy’s dialogue is set in blue type, while the sister’s is in red and emphatically boldfaced. The brother is tan-skinned; his sister is brown-skinned.

Readers will have a fine time with these rhymes and certainly won’t be averse to the verse.