A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime: More about Nouns (Words Are Categorical)
Grade 2-4–This title presents students with yet more rhymed and seemingly random nouns than those in Cleary'sA Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun?(Carolrhoda, 1999). Each spread contains a playful sentence elaborating on the topic, with each noun highlighted in a bright color. Friend is a noun,/and so is your dad,/ice cream/and bagels/and Boston/and Brad. Gable's loose watercolor cartoons depict each noun (as well as the series's signature big-nosed cats, of course). Unfortunately, Clearly does not use this opportunity to go much beyond the scope of his previous work on this part of speech. A reference to bling is fun, though likely to date the book quickly. Those seeking a more thorough picture-book introduction to noun subspecies, such as compound nouns, collective nouns, and plurals, should stick with Ruth Heller'sMerry-Go-Round: A Book about Nouns(Grosset & Dunlap, 1992).Limewould be a fun read-aloud for language-arts lessons, but those owning the other titles should consider it an additional purchase.–Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.