By Jennifer at the Strafford Branch Library

I love books that use only a word or two on each page. That may sound boring, but believe me, it is not. Books like author David Shannon’s that use only a couple of words per page can be some of the funniest books you will find. Hearing your child belly laugh over the way you say a word is one of the truly fun experiences you can have reading together! Children will get a kick out of the overreaction that comes with most of the exclamations. In addition to building reading enjoyment, a one-word book gives you a chance to introduce the importance of punctuation in a story. For example, in the book Moo! by David LaRochelle, the period makes for a casual “moo,” an exclamation point makes for a loud surprise “MOO,” and a “moo” followed by a question mark means even though the cow is uttering “moo” she really is asking the question “what.” So check out some of the titles below and get ready to show your kids the difference between a surprised, angry, happy, excited and scared expression. They will give you giggles in return!

Hug by Jez Alborough

Look! by Jeff Mack

Mine! by Jeff Mack

Moo! by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka

No, David! by David Shannon

Questions or need more ideas? Email racingtoread@thelibrary.org