School Library Journal Review

PreS-K-The daylong activities of twin girls and their grandmother are told through two- and three- word sentences all rhyming with "tock." "Tick Tock./Ten o'clock./Tick Tock./Messy smocks." Each hour sees the children playing with blocks, eating lunch on the dock, chasing a flock, and walking a block, until Mom comes to pick them up and Grandma and her cat can fall "Asleep like a rock!" This phonics reader uses word repetition, consistent vowel sound of the short "o," and a steady rhythm to create a successful reading experience for new readers, and Neubecker's energetic illustrations fill in the details. Children will also enjoy watching the antics of a busy cat throughout. Analog clocks appear on the endpapers but not in the text, making this story more about the reading experience and less about telling time. A solid addition that beginning readers will want to share with Grandma.-Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.