Review by Booklist Review
In this companion story to Dear Deer (2007), Barretta builds a picture book around homographs, words that look the same but have different meanings and pronunciations. Wild and crazy music fans from the animal kingdom gather for Loola Palooza. With one or two pairs of homographs on each double-page spread, the text introduces the musicians (Carmen Chameleon's ENTRANCE will ENTRANCE you) as well as the rowdy crowd of music lovers. Although some bits of wordplay may fly over kids' heads, they'll enjoy Barretta's wit and the atmosphere of controlled chaos in the high-energy watercolor illustrations.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Baretta (who wrote about homophones in Dear Deer) stages an introduction to homographs at an animals' outdoor concert. On one spread, a chameleon lounges over a bowl of fruit and veggies to grasp the microphone: "Carmen Chameleon's entrance will entrance you. She's the only singer we know who can produce a fresh bowl of produce and blend into it." Young readers should appreciate Baretta's ability to construct miniature story lines using the homographs, and while phrases sometimes hit clunky notes ("Fortunately, she wound up landing on the back of a jellyfish, wound-free"), they are well-served by his starry-eyed, crowd-surfing menagerie. Ages 5-8. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-The animals are out of the zoo for a concert: "Zoola Palooza. No cages. Just stages." Barretta incorporates homographs into his narrative about the wild happenings at the big show. A "striped BASS" in a "BOW tie" takes a "BOW" while playing the "BASS fiddle." Carter Pillar, the caterpillar, plays a "30-minute" solo on his "minute" guitar. At the end of the show, a family of feline fans plan to "live" in their car so they can drive to other shows and see repeat performances of Zoola Palooza "Live." Unfortunately, the intended audience for this animal-centric tale won't be familiar with many of the music and pop-culture references (a feline drummer referred to as a "rebel without his claws," power consoles, a band of groupies known as the Fa-So-La-Te-Does, a polka musician named Florence Welk, etc.). Further, regional differences may affect the logic of the word pairings, as with polka-dot and polka (referring to the dance), which have no difference in pronunciation in some parts of the country. Barretta's vibrant watercolors, filled with a rainbow assortment of animals in energetic poses, may attract casual browsers, but the book's main audience will find this act mostly out of step.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This mildly entertaining successor to Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones employs homographs to describe the performances of several all-animal bands, shown in caricaturish illustrations (e.g., "Carmen Chameleon's ENTRANCE will ENTRANCE you"). Knowledge of rock-star clichis and performers (musicians include "Fluff Daddy" and "Seals & Crawfish") will help readers understand the book's copious puns. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A topic only rarely addressed gets whimsical treatment in this latest from wordplay master Barretta.Homographs, a frequent source of confusion for readers, are words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. Barretta helps children sort them out in this trip to an animal rock concert. Billy the striped bass plays the bass fiddle, while Florence Welk plays a polka on a polka-dot accordion. Puns and wordplay abound, and there is something for young and old alikefrom the potty humor of the Seagull Sisters' "present" to the exhausted Catnip Clan drummer: "Usually that cat lives to REBEL. / But today he was just / a REBEL without his claws." From outstanding performances to lip-sync scandals, stage crew mishaps to faithful groupies, the fun doesn't stop at the text. Barretta's watercolors do a stellar job of incorporating all of the homographs presented on each spread (helpfully presented in all uppercase within the text), no matter how far-out and unrelated they may seem.While teachers are sure to reach for this entertaining resource again and again, the humor, illustrations, wordplay and story are strong enough that casual readers will pick this up, chuckle and even (gasp!) learn. (Picture book. 5-10)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
