Crunch and Crack, Oink and Whack!: An Onomatopoeia Story

Cleary, Brian P.

ISBN 10: 146778799X ISBN 13: 9781467787994

Publisher: Millbrook Press ™, 2019

Synopsis

Rhyming verse from Brian P. Cleary presents the fictional Clip-Clop Elementary School's celebration of "Onomatopoeia Day." Enthusiastic young students make their way from band room (Rattle! Boom! Twang!) to the gym (Whiff! Whack! Swish!) to the science lab (Hiss! Spurt! Ding!) and beyond. Brief back matter offers additional examples of onomatopoeias―words that imitate sounds.

About this title

About the Author

Brian P. Cleary is the author of the Words Are CATegorical®, Math Is CATegorical®, Food Is CATegorical™, and Animal Groups Are CATegorical™ series, as well as several picture books. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Pablo Pino was born in Argentina in August 1981. He is a self-taught illustrator and has been working professionally since 2006. He draws for different graphic media aimed at children and young people. He worked on character design, board games, magazines, and illustrated many books for America and Europe. One of them was named the best illustrated book in Spanish by the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards 2015.

Review

"This title depicts a group of students on a schoolwide scavenger hunt for examples of onomatopoeia, defined as 'the naming of a thing or an action by imitating or mimicking its sound, as in BEEP, MOO, and SPLASH.' The text incorporates an unusual rhyme scheme as well as many examples of onomatopoeia: animal and nature sounds as students explore nearby farmland; mechanical sounds from a workshop; and sounds from a band class, gymnasium, and science lab. The examples in the text are emphasized with color and a bold, stylized font. The back matter includes lists of examples as well as suggestions for further reading. While the story of the word hunt is secondary to the exploration of the sounds of words, the illustrations use pencil with digital coloring and depict both students and teachers. The chaos of each scene reinforces the noisy nature of the text and includes humorous details such as a leaky sink in the restroom and explosions in the science room. The characters are expressive and showcase dynamic movement. VERDICT The emphasis placed on the sounds of words and the rhythm of the language is naturally suited for reading aloud, while the content works well for elementary students learning about the parts of speech."―School Library Journal

(Journal)

"At the Clip-Clop Country School for Girls and Boys, Onomatopoeia Day comes once a year. Every year, the students in Ms. Garcia's class get to search around the school for onomatopoeias―a word whose name imitates the sound it makes. In the workshop, they find buzz and whirr; in the band room, they hear rat-tat-tat and boom; in the science lab, they encounter gurgle and hiss. When the day gets too exciting, an onomatopoeia finds them: the principal sticks her head in Ms. Garcia's door and says, 'SHOOSH!' Pino's boldly colored, energetic illustrations showcase kids from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, having fun while learning. The in-text onomatopoeia themselves are clearly marked, and back matter is thorough and well laid out. The rhyme and rhythm of the text doesn't always scan, which could make this a challenge to read aloud―an unfortunate quirk, given the subject matter. Still, the story itself is abundantly classroom friendly, and this is a good thematic companion for Cleary's other grammar and language arts–themed picture books."―Booklist

(Journal)

About this edition

• Publisher: Millbrook Press ™
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 146778799X
• ISBN 13: 9781467787994
• Binding: Library Binding
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Pino Pablo