Where Do You Look? by M. & N. Jocelyn

Abstract

Jocelyn, Martha and Nell Jocelyn. Where Do You Look? Toronto: Tundra Books, a Division of Random House of Canada, 2013. Print.This picture book is a playful exploration of homonyms—in this case, those that are spelled alike. The text comprises a series of questions; e.g., “Where do you look for a letter? In the mailbox?” Or on the page?” The illustrations, which incorporate collage and photographic techniques, are colourful and well defined—perfect for story hour viewing. The accompanying questions are an invitation to participate; children will enjoy guessing what further meanings of a word might next be illustrated. Beyond story hour, the book is appropriate, both in terms of font size and vocabulary, for independent reading by beginners.A further possibility for this book is its use in English as a Second Language classes. Gleaning the contextual meaning of a word is always difficult when learning a new language and the Jocelyns provide a light-hearted approach to the problem. To avoid the sensitive issue of using a beginner’s book in a lesson for older students and adults, introduce it as something an ESL learner might like to share with a child. (Confess: those of us who love children’s literature have been playing that card forever!)Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Leslie AitkenLeslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship involved selection of children’s literature for school, public, special, and university collections. She is a former Curriculum Librarian at the University of Alberta.