Ring! Yo? by Chris Raschka
1. Bibliography
Raschka, Chris. 2000. RING! YO? New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0-7894-2614-5
2. Plot Summary
This story depicts one side of a two-sided phone conversation between a young boy and his friend, a character who is only revealed through the illustrations. Through the young boy's body-language and reaction to the caller, readers are able to infer what the caller's side of the conversation might sound like. The author makes a suggestion at the close of the story as to what the complete conversation may have sounded like and invites the reader to suggest a different version of the conversation.
3. Critical Analysis
This amusing story is entirely composed of high-frequency words and yet easily brings to life two young characters full of personality. Reader engagement is inevitable - only hearing one side of a conversation is quite a trigger for the imagination - for children and adults alike! The range of the boy's reactions also serve to fuel the imagination! This book will open doors for discussion, writing exploration, and theatrics as students fill in the missing conversation pieces, compare interpretations and relate to the characters' feelings. The author has crafted a "create your own ending" picture book with "endless" possibilities!
The characters are introduced on the cover, end page, and title page prior to the beginning of the story which gives the reader the necessary information to activate a child's prior knowledge and set the stage for the story. The variation in text size and background colors are supportive of the young boy's feelings and emotions. Pages are uncluttered so that the reader's attention stays focused on the reactions of the young boy. The characters are portrayed light-heartedly in child-like drawings that are the humorous element in this story.
4. Review Excerpts
BOOLIST review (v.96 no. 14): "another delightful monosyllabic, energy charged story..."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review (v.46 no. 5) "The pastel and watercolor illustrations, all with lots of white background space and a word or two in cut paper letters, wonderfully capture a wide range of emotions."
5. Connections
For an introduction of the two friends seen in this story, check out the preceding book YO! YES? - a Caldecott Honor Book. Friendship themes are also found in books written by Raschka including LIKE, LIKES, LIKE and THE BLUSHFUL HIPPOPOTAMUS.
Raschka, Chris. YO! YES?. ISBN 0531071081
Raschka, Chris. LIKE, LIKES, LIKE. ISBN 0531088820
Raschka, Chris. THE BLUSHFUL HIPPOTAMUS. ISBN 0789481898
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1 comment:
I almost used this one for my review as well. It would be so great to use in a classroom to have each student fill in the part of what the person on the other line is saying.
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