Read It Again Mom! Blog
In his new series Monster Street, Michael Dahl tackles the commonly used linguist marvels that are idioms, explaining their meanings in manageable bits just right for grades 1-3. The stories are fun to read and easy as pie to understand. The four idioms that covered in the series are: In One Ear, Out the Other, Cold Feet, Another Mouth to Feed, and Two Heads are better Than One. These simple phrases, such as "in one ear and out the other" can be quite confusing to children who do not understand the meaning and instead imagine that objects can actually go in one of their ears, travel through their brain, and come out the other side! Dahl's books help children "get it" and gain confidence in the use of language. He makes learning about idioms a piece of cake. Another Mouth to Feed (Monster Street)The illustrations cannot be overlooked in this series. The art in picture books extends the language and therefore the learning. In the Monster Street series, the bold fun-filled illustrations created by Migy reinforce the idiom lesson in each story. The expressive, sometimes quirky monsters are by no means scary; you cannot help but feel happy after perusing the dynamic art. Readers will be so busy enjoying the experience of the books that they may not even realize they are receiving a language lesson. Cold Feet (Monster Street)The Monster Street series is perfect for use in early elementary classrooms or with ESL students. A word to the wise however; after reading these books, kids will surely be bitten by the writing bug. Their creativity will be unleashed and they will be anxious to start creating their own stories explaining an idiom or two! Be prepared and have a list ready! http://readitagainmom.blogspot.com/2010/
October 17, 2010Library Media Connection - Jo Monahan
This series will be entertaining to both young children and adults. The colorfully illustrated books help readers discover the meaning of idioms. The definition of an idiom is located on the last page of each book. Also in the back is the specific idiom the book covers. Younger readers may find the stories entertaining but may have trouble connecting to the idioms. Teachers may want to use this series for examples on the play on words and for reading aloud. Recommended.
March 1, 2011ChiIL Mama Blog - Bonnie Kenaz-Mara
Today's book is In One Ear Out the Other ($16.99). It's a fabulously funny monster book by Michael Dahl, that will amuse parents as much as early readers.The kids and I all loved the colorful, wacky art by Migy. This silly little monster, Bud, is big fun. He just doesn't listen, like certain someones at so many of our homes. He manages to annoy his family by not helping out when asked. And he struggles in school because the teacher's questions go in one ear and out the other. Then he misses out on good stuff, like a big monster party, by not listening. Check out this brand new 2011 release to see how Bud creatively overcomes his problem. Your little ones will be introduced to better listening habits in a humorous way, and find a new meaning for "put a sock in it". They'll even learn what an idiom is. http://chiilmama.blogspot.com/2010/11/win-5-hardback-books-wednesday-picture.html
November 17, 2010