Exclamation Mark

The story drops listeners in on a conversation between an exclamation point and a question mark. Disheartened Exclamation Mark knows he doesn't work the way periods do, but what is his role? Leave it to Question Mark with her boatload of questions to present a solution. With a resounding "STOP!"--Exclamation Mark is on his way. Kudos to the narrating trio for their ability to bring the drama of this story to life. Their varying voices enable listeners to discern the conversation between the two punctuation marks by enlisting drawn- out monotones, soft-voiced hesitancy, and changes in inflection and pace. Listeners will especially enjoy it when Exclamation Mark tries out his new power. A.R. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

January 14, 2013
Rosenthal and Lichtenheld (the team behind Duck! Rabbit! and other titles) give punctuation personalities in this witty calligraphic jaunt. Against a background of lined penmanship paper, an exclamation mark realizes he differs from his neighbors, a neat row of periods. Like them, he consists of a smiley face drawn in swooshes of expressive black ink, but above his head stands a resolute vertical dash. He twists and curls his topper to no avail, until—“Hello? Who are you?”—an inquisitive question mark appears. Bothered by the newcomer’s incessant queries (“When’s your birthday? Know any good jokes?”), the hero bellows a spread-shaking “Stop!” and discovers his talent for assertions, from “Hi!” to “Wow!” and “Look what I can do!” Thanks to savvy design, the exclamation mark’s announcements are printed in different sizes and colors to subtly indicate emphasis and tone, yet the mark never meets others like himself and therefore never suffers from overuse. With a restraint that’s more declaratory than exclamatory, Rosenthal and Lichtenheld cleverly raise awareness of the ways punctuation conveys mood. Ages 4–8. Agent: Amy Rennert, the Amy Rennert Agency,