Red light, green lion
(Book)

PreS-Gr 2-Depicting a lion leaning on an umbrella at a spotlight, the front cover of this book grabs readers' attention immediately. Who is this lion, and what is he up to? The author plays with the pull of the page turn by hyphenating the word lion in the text ("Red light, green li-on," "Red light, green li-ghtning"). To find out what the word is, readers must turn the page. The text is playful, but the illustrations lack any hints as to what word might be highlighted next, which is a bit frustrating. The story is about taking things as they come, even when they are surprising, and trusting that things will turn out well in the end. The message is lost, though, in all the zaniness. Unexpected, somewhat nonsensical words and sentences do make this a silly read-aloud that will tickle the younger set. Nevertheless, the idea of hyphenating a word is interesting, but breaking a word with an eye to the word's meaning might be more effective (care, careful, careless, etc.) and help support reading skills. VERDICT For a lighthearted, fun read-aloud, this is a great fit.-Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Red light, green li-" reads a dozen-odd right-hand pages; turning the page reveals the concluding letters to each "li-": -on (a dapper green lion prepares to cross the street), "-ghtning!" (lightning spooks the lion), etc. Will the lion ever get across the street? An omniscient narrator ("Some days are not like most days") walks readers through this suspenseful word game, tastefully illustrated with pastel and brush-pen line art. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"Red light, green li-"not so fast! Readers will eagerly rush to finish this familiar phrase with the word "light," but a page turn that cuts that fourth word off after "li-" leads to unexpected endings: "green li- / -ghtning," "green li- / -lac," "green li- / -fesaver," "green li- / -ma bean," green li- / -feboat." This playful picture book stretches out these surprise endings, keeping children entertained and engaged while positing that life often dishes up the unpredictable. An expressive green lion encounters all these shockers (floating livestock, endangered library books), and his dumbfounded dot eyes, hair-on-end mane, and earnest efforts to get through such a kooky day evoke empathy and laughs. A matter-of-fact, soothing narrative voice admits "some days, nothing goes the way we thought it would. But then something happens that makes the journey easier" and also "[s]ome days, everything slows down, and we may feel stuck. Those are good times to be still and think." Assured pastel and brush-pen illustrations inscribe a world outlined in simple colors, set atop cloud-white backdropsit's an environment that makes thinking about murky concepts easy for young people.Funny, helpful, empathetic, accessible, and perfect for an interactive group read-aloud or quiet contemplation under the covers. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.