Book 180: Say What?

Say What?, written by Angela Diterlizzi, illustrated by Joey Chou, Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster), 2011.  Baby to Toddler to Preschooler.

A few months ago, a miniature copy of this book could be found in large boxes of Cheerios.  Unfortunately, not by me.  I checked out all the large boxes of Cheerios in Publix, Bi-Lo, Piggly Wiggly, Target and Walmart, and this book was not there.  So I bought the book.  I'm very glad that I did.

I loved all the writing in this book, from the author's dedication to Jane Yolen's blurb on the back cover, but my favorite was the last line of the text.  This book would appeal to so many ages:  the very youngest listeners would love the repetition and the animal sounds; toddlers would enjoy making animal sounds; preschoolers would love either reading or "reading" this book themselves.  My little boy, at four-and-a-half (as of yesterday), is a beginning reader.  He doesn't yet read new words, but when words are repeated, he recognizes them.  This book is perfect for him. 

The illustrations are wonderful.  Again, I loved every illustration in this book, but my favorite was the little boy and his mother, closely followed by the snakes.  And the birds.  And the horses.  And the sheep.  Well, all of it. 

There is nothing not to love about this book.  Even the title is clever.