A while ago I wrote a post about Kick A** Kids’ Music; essentially, I reviewed music geared for children that parents could also enjoy (other readers and I continue to add new titles in the comments section of this post). The other day, I discovered an awesome picture book on the shelves of my local Library that inspired me to write a post about kids’ books.
When I pulled
Dude: fun with Dude and Betty (M) by
Lisa Pliscou and
Tom Dunne from the shelf, I literally shrieked with laughter, alarming a nearby Library Clerk. From the cover you can tell where the authors are going with this:
Dude is a
Dick and Jane-styled picture book, with a twist. Instead of learning the basics of ordinary vocabulary and sentence structure, Pliscou teaches kids (and parents!)
surf-speak.
First, we’re introduced to our protagonist:
Here is Dude.
Hey, Dude. What’s up?
Dude is a way cool guy.
Later on, the action picks up:
See Dude surf.
Whoa!
Look at Dude surf.
Surf, Dude, surf.
My favourite passage involves the introduction of conflict to the story line:
‘Dude,’ says Father, ‘have you cleaned your room?’
‘Dude,’ says Mother, ‘have you done your homework?’
Oh, oh!
What a gnarly scene.
It is time to bail.
Bail, Dude, bail!
Excellent.
For those of us who are new to surf-speak, Pliscou helpfully provides a glossary of surf terms in the back of the book. This was especially useful to me, as I have apparently been misusing the word “gnarly” for years. (“Gnarly: When describing waves: big and very tough to surf. In a general sense, describes something really bad or difficult”).
My own son (2 years), enjoyed the pacing, brightly-coloured and simple pictures in the Dick and Jane-style, as well as the unusual words (stokaboka!). Since I am familiar with the original
Dick and Jane series, this playful tribute/parody was equally pleasing to me, the person who has to read the thing over and over again.
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