Conflict resolution seems the theme of You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman, illus. by Michael Emberley. As with this duo's first collaboration, the tales take the form of a conversation between a pair of characters (such as the princess and the pea or Jack and the ogre atop the beanstalk), allowing the stories to be read aloud by two people. As the characters quibble over plot points, they ultimately come to terms, in each case deciding, """"You'll read to me!/ I'll read to you!

Like You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Stories to Read Together (2001), this is an exuberant picture-book read-aloud with short, rhymed, illustrated scenarios for two voices. This time the eight stories are fairy tales--fractured fairy tales--and, as Hoberman says in her introduction, new readers will need to know the originals in order to enjoy the fun. In fact, even seasoned older readers will love the parody. Little Red Riding Hood takes Grandma and a starving wolf to a restaurant for lunch. Goldilocks befriends Baby Bear and takes him home with her to get some porridge (since she ate up all of his). Each story ends with former enemies reading together. Cinderella, for example, invites her gross sisters to live with her in the palace, and they share a good book while the prince reads nearby. Emberley's clear comic-style pictures are hilarious. The big but vulnerable ogre in Jack and the Beanstalk has a nose ring and earrings, and a cool Jack in sunglasses and high-heeled boots makes a deal. Great for readers' theater.

Gr 1-4-In this third installment in the series, Hoberman and Emberley introduce shared reading experiences that retell and elaborate on Mother Goose rhymes. Consisting of 14 short tales, each story is designed to be read by two voices that, at times, come together for shared lines; different colored type indicates each distinct voice. Told in verse, these stories will appeal to readers who are familiar with the original rhymes. In "Old Mother Hubbard," for example, the woman and her dog determine that since it's cold outside, they'll call the butcher and order in some food. The humor and rhythms in "Jack, Be Nimble" are reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham (Random, 1960). The careful word choices are ideal for beginning and reluctant readers; Hoberman introduces simple contractions that easily blend into the rhythmic text. The bright and cheery artwork captures the humor; Little Jack Horner is portrayed as a raccoon sporting a shabby overcoat and fedora and Little Tommy Tucker is a bass-playing gorilla. Both the illustrations and text are set against clean white space for ease of reading. In addition to sharing in two voices, this book is also ideal for choral reading and classroom activities. An author's note provides additional suggestions.-Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

This book for two readers is devoted to new slants on nursery rhymes, extending, combining, or decrypting Mother Goose in thirteen rhyming stories. Hoberman echoes the cadences of the rhymes in her own reinterpretations, and Emberley does a good job of amplifying dramatic possibilities. Felicitous rhyming, clear page design, and well-sequenced pictures work together to make this a two-on-a-tuffet treat.