Hot Cha-Cha!

Josephine Nobisso
Illustrated by Joan Holub

Who … what … why … when … where … and how? The kids wanted to know. That is the basis for this book of poetry. WHO … found somethin’ in the cookie jar? It was not Hector, Shanequa, or Ali Kumar, but it was Maria. The WHAT … when Maria put her hand in the cookie jar, the kids wanted to know, what did she find! Maria found the key to the playground lock. She was so excited of her find she went up and down her block telling all the kids she had found the key. The WHY … the kids had a hard time with remembering how the key had been lost. Could it have been lost when they were swinging so high? The key had not been seen since the Fourth of July … but what part of the day? WHERE could the key have flown? Just how far away … Tunisia, maybe even Korea. They went real high on the swings. Finally, the HOW. How, did Maria manage to come across the key? Laughing and singing, the children were glad to have the cookie jar to keep the key safe.

This book was listed twice with two other publishers before Gingerbread House picked it up in 2009. The publisher is excited to be offering this rhyming book and is looking for comments from readers. Unusual for most books, the entire jacket is a tutorial for understanding the rhyming and writing poetry. The illustrations are amazing. Bright colors and children’s faces full of joy. The pages are a medley of color, swirls, action, and children. I would suggest reading the book to children when they can view the pages.

BIBLIO: 2010, ABDO Publishing, Ages Gr 3 - 6, $25.65
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Junior Novels / Reader Series
ISBN: 978-1-60453-629-4

REVIEWED FOR: Children’s Literature, Online Version, 1/2510