Rappy the Raptor by Dan Gutman -- OPTIONAL

Gutman, Dan Rappy the Raptor, illustrated by Tim Bowers. PICTURE BOOK. HarperCollins Children's Books, 2015. 17.99. Content: G.

After Rappy falls on his head, he begins speaking in rhyme. But extensive tests -- which include doctors examining his rear end and picking his nose -- show that perhaps the accident had nothing to do with his rhyming; he was just born to rap all the time.

The illustrations are fun and colorful, with a lot of activity, and the premise could lead to some fun projects, such as having children spend five minutes speaking only in rhyme. The mild references to body parts adds some humor, especially for children who are into that. It works as a read-aloud, but the plot is thin and drags on longer than it needs, and the rhymes and rhythm are pretty flimsy -- something that is especially noticeable since the book is about what a great rapper Rappy is.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Caryn