Families Have Together

June 1, 2005
PreS-Gr 1 -The family featured in this rhyming examination of life within and outside of the home consists of Mom, Dad, and three children. Both parents work, tend to the kids, and do housework. While not always grammatically sound, the text works as an inventive poem with interesting word arrangements and pairings. Children will recognize the wordplay and appreciate lines such as -Noses have blow. Feet have grow. - Some of the stranger lines, such as -Skirts have hide, - rely on Zemke's color cartoon illustrations for clarity; in this case, a toddler hides behind his mother's skirt. Most of the three-word-long sentences are paired to form rhyming couplets, with some of the rhymes extending up to five lines. The book presents a warm portrayal of family life, but the format does grow a bit tedious and requires some skillfully paced reading to avoid rhyming burnout by book's end. - "Carol L. MacKay, Camrose Public Library, Alberta, Canada"

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