Editorial Review

Heinrichs has taken her ‘The Magic of Language’ series (2004), geared to grades 3-6, and packaged it for the lower elementary grades. The books are well organized and attractive, and inject humor into what might otherwise be fairly dry subjects. The font is large and changes appropriately in terms of boldness and color to create emphasis. The brightly colored cartoon illustrations are amusing and clearly demonstrate whatever part of speech is being explored. A purple-and-green monster levitates off his chair after spotting a mouse beneath it in Interjections—‘Eeek!’—while a smiling elephant being hoisted in the air by balloons declares, ’I’m as light as a feather’ in Similes. The humor packed into the artwork will make these books attractive to browsers, not just teachers looking for material to reinforce their lesson plans. Between this series and Brian P. Cleary’s fine titles, the 400s may get some action.