[Excerpted from School Library Journal, July, 2000]

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective?

Brian P. Cleary.  Ill. by Jenya Promitsky.

Gr 2 - 4 - Descriptive words of many kinds are presented in bouncy, rhyming text: "They're colorful, like mauve and puce,/They help explain, like lean and loose,/Baggy, saggy, stretchy, strong,/Much too short or way too long." The text bounces, too, with the words printed in wavy lines and unevenly sized letters. The adjectives are colorfully highlighted and readers will see their function demonstrated in a wide variety of contexts. Little round cats and quirky humans, both with fat noses and wide eyes, humorously illustrate the meanings. The book will probably be used most often to enliven grammar lessons, and is a companion to A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? (Carolrhoda, 1999). Unfortunately, the illustrations are too small for group use. While Ruth Heller's Many Luscious Lollipops (Grosset & Dunlap, 1989) is still hard to beat on the subject, Hairy, Scary, Ordinary is a lighthearted, multifaceted illustration of the importance of adjectives in our language.

--Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN

CIP Carolrhoda. 2000. PLB $12.95. ISBN 1-57505-401-9 LC 98-32132.