Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas  Ages 2+.  Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Jan. 2009. 40 pages.  ISBN: 978-1416979760 $12.99

Why Am I Reviewing this Book?  I discovered it from the library.  My son and I enjoy reading it.  It has proven to teach my son something.  I think other parents and children will like it, too.  

The Short:  This is a simple, colorful, and fun book full of rhymes that I have read to my son a countless number of times.  Neither of us have tired of this book, though.  Because of the simple text with lots of rhyming this is a great book for a reader (parent, sibling, etc.) to read with a beginning reader.  It’s a quick book to memorize for those kids who enjoy memorizing books.  My son will sit down with this book by himself and, “read” it.  It is a quick read, but we always read it several times in a row.  We recommend it.

The Long:  This is about four dust bunnies that like to rhyme.  They pick a word and try to think of all of the other words that rhyme with it.  One dust bunny, Bob, consistently picks a word that doesn’t rhyme and the other dust bunnies correct him.  What they don’t realize is that first a broom and then a vacuum cleaner are heading straight towards them and Bob is trying to warn them.  It is pretty funny.

I like the flexibility in the pace of this book.  You can read it fast or slow, either way has its advantages.  This book also is written in a casual, conversational style that makes reading it a relaxed and happy experience.  It’s a pressure free and humorous introduction to reading.  We’ll be reading this book again when my son starts to show more of an interest in reading.

There is nothing I feel compelled to edit when reading this to my son.  After reading this book to him several times he seems to grasp the idea of rhyming words.  I was surprised and happy with that result.

One word of warning:  After reading this through the first time, my son was scared of this book.  The dust bunnies do get sucked into the vacuum cleaner.  This didn’t traumatize him, but for the longest time he would need to go to the other end of the couch when we got to the page where the bunnies got sucked into the vacuum cleaner.  He’d come right back after it was over.  I asked him why he did this and he told me it was scary when the dust bunnies got sucked into the vacuum. (Fair enough.) When I told him we didn’t have to read it anymore, he protested.  This behavior didn’t last long and now he’ll sit down by himself and read it.  He loves this book.

I’ll be checking out more books by Jan Thomas ASAP.

Where Obtained:  Public Library.  Random grab off the shelf.

FTC Disclosures:  Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” If you click on the link and purchase the book, I will receive an affiliate commission.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Author/Illustrator Websites:  Jan Thomas: http://www.janthomasbooks.com/Home.html

Some of My Favorite Reviews of this Book:

• A Fuse #8 Production
• Sam and Boo Book Reviews
• A Year of Reading

I’m linking this post up with Read Aloud Thursday hosted over at Hope Is the Word Blog.  This happens every Thursday and I hope you’ll link up a book you like to read aloud to your loved ones.