Every month we hope to feature a title that is on the 2018 Land of Enchantment Book Award nomination list.This month that title is Yaks Yak by Linda Sue Park.
In Yaks Yak, a deceptively simple picture book filled with delightful wordplay, adults and kids alike will enjoy a fantasy tour of the animal kingdom along with a fun, informative romp through our sometimes surprising English language. Newbery medalist Linda Sue Park teams up with artist Jennifer Black Reinhardt to present a series of noun and verb homographs (words which sound alike but have different meanings) in simple sentences. Reinhardt’s vibrant paintings illustrate the meanings of the word pairs with humor.
Across the pages of this book, slugs slug slugs with bright red boxing gloves, polite yaks relax and yak companionably with each other over steaming cups of tea in a quaint living room, and a colorful assortment of bugs bug other bugs by tickling, pushing, pulling, buzzing, and dive-bombing each other. Each page invites readers to consider the fuller meaning of words, pore over the amusing details in the artwork, and ponder what other words sound alike but have different meanings. Readers will find more information about the origin and meanings of each word in the text at the back of the book.
For teachers, librarians, and parents who want a book to share that will make kids smile and think, Yaks Yak is a great choice.
Review by Beth Nieman
