{"id":34179,"date":"2018-02-27T22:46:35","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T02:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=34179"},"modified":"2018-02-27T22:46:35","modified_gmt":"2018-02-28T02:46:35","slug":"review-of-read-the-book-lemmings-by-ame-dyckman-illustrated-by-zachariah-ohora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=34179","title":{"rendered":"Review of Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah OHora"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Read the Book, Lemmings!<\/em><\/p>\n

by Ame Dyckman
\nillustrated by Zachariah OHora<\/p>\n

Little, Brown and Company, 2017. 36 pages.
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

This book simply makes me laugh. Ame Dyckman and Zachariah OHora know exactly how to hit my funny bone.<\/p>\n

The end papers at the front of this book set us up. We\u2019re in the Arctic, with several icebergs in view. A small one in front has a big sign, which says:<\/p>\n

lemmings: <\/strong>small, fuzzy, illiterate rodents who share the icy North with arctic foxes and polar bears. People used to think lemmings jumped off cliffs. Now we know they don\u2019t.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

High on top of a nearby icy cliff, we see three little furry creatures. One is jumping off and saying, \u201cWonder what that says.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next is saying, \u201cMe too!\u201d<\/p>\n

And the third is saying, \u201cDitto!\u201d<\/p>\n

The first page gets us right into the action. We see a ship made out of a big black whale. On its deck are a polar bear and an arctic fox, dressed as captain and crew of the ship. The three lemmings are now on deck, too, close to the edge.<\/p>\n

Foxy found a quiet spot to read his book about lemmings. \u201cHuh!\u201d Foxy said. \u201cSays here, lemmings don\u2019t<\/em> jump off cliffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cJump? I\u2019ll jump!\u201d said a lemming.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe too!\u201d said a second.<\/p>\n

\u201cDitto!\u201d said a third.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The next page shows them jumping: GERONIMO-O-O-O-O!<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what the book is about. Foxy saves them after they jump into the water. He tries to get them to read the book about lemmings. But any time someone says, \u201cJump\u201d \u2013 they do.<\/p>\n

Finally, Foxy and Captain PB figure out that the lemmings don\u2019t know how to read, although Ditto can<\/em> burp the alphabet. So Foxy teaches the lemmings to read, and they learn that lemmings don\u2019t jump off cliffs!<\/p>\n

Of course, they do find a new way to get into trouble.<\/p>\n

The fun of this book is the slapstick humor of the lemmings flinging themselves off cliffs and Foxy continuing to save them. The illustrations give us lots of humor and lots of variety \u2013 turning sideways at times to show us how far they\u2019re falling. Of course, the endpapers at the back feature that same sign \u2013 modified.<\/p>\n

I do love the Author\u2019s Note at the back: <\/p>\n

When I was little, I saw a movie that showed lemmings jumping off cliffs. Years later, I learned that, except in very rare cases, lemmings DON\u2019T jump off cliffs. My first thought was, \u201cOH NO! DID ANYONE TELL THE LEMMINGS?!\u201d So, we made this book. You\u2019re welcome, lemmings.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Good, silly fun.<\/p>\n

zohora.com<\/a>
\nlb-kids.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/read_the_book_lemmings.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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