School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Photographs carry the meaning of the text in this book that emphasizes common homophones and homonyms. "If horns played cool music," for example, is illustrated with a full-page colorful image of a ram against a grassy green background and a picture of a brass quintet in bright red uniforms. While the text is dependent on the images, some are clumsily staged. "If nails were on fingers" is illustrated with an image of a cluster of nails opposite a photo of an awkwardly posed hand with artificial fingernails. An additional purchase for language-arts units.-Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

Alda uses her beautiful, clear photos and fourteen pairs of words to introduce young readers to homophones and homonyms. For example, "if horns played cool music..." accompanies two photographs, one of a sheep with large curled horns, the other of a brass quintet playing their horns. The book is both useful and handsome. Ind.

ALA Booklist (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

A marvelously imaginative pairing (sorry) of homonyms (words that sound alike but have different meanings and the same spelling) and homophones (words that sound alike but have different meanings and different spellings), wrapped up in a rhyme of amazingly few words and terrific offbeat photographs. If a pitcher / could pour reads the text on a spread showing a boy pitching a baseball to a girl batter opposite a photograph of a perfectly luscious blue china water pitcher. And glasses / could see is illustrated by photos of clear glass and colored plastic tumblers opposite a rosy rag doll wearing shades. If the sun / could laugh pairs a sunset with a giggling, bouncing baby boy, and the blew of blowing out birthday candles is matched with a perfect expanse of cloudless blue sky. Accomplished author and photographer Alda is married to the actor Alan Alda and impishly notes on the back cover copy that they have been a pair for many years.