Excuse Me, I'm Trying to Read!

June 15, 2012
Curious animals continually disrupt a young African girl's attempts to read. But who would try to read while sitting in a crocodile's mouth or lying on a rhino's back? And what if a dung beetle wants to join you? This series of silly situations is sure to appeal to those who enjoy the absurd. Sprayed by an elephant and squeezed by a snake, the girl never gets all the way through her book--the very same one that is in readers' hands. The patterned text and repetition of the title line make this both an engaging read-aloud and a good choice for an early reader. Eldridge's double-page illustrations appear to have been computer generated using a variety of styles--line drawings, collage and watercolor texture--and savannah colors. Though rough, they are realistic enough to allow for animal identification. Unfortunately the "African ibis" is depicted with the body and straight beak of a stork. First published in 2011 by the author and illustrator as a fundraiser for their Books for Kids Africa project in Mozambique, this title was the picture-book winner for the National Association of Elementary School Principals' children's book competition. A crowd-pleasing celebration of reading; nevertheless, it doesn't hold a candle to such more-polished presentations as Judy Sierra and Marc Brown's Wild about Books (2004). (Picture book. 3-6)

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