Rhyme Crime
Jon Burgerman
Oxford University Press

Beware the googly eyes staring out through the cover of Jon Burgerman’s follow up to Splat!. It’s another chortle inducer starring a thief, albeit one whose light-fingered habit leaves a rhyming replacement item for every one stolen. In fact the whole thing is a veritable rhyming extravaganza.
First to fall victim to those thieving fingers is Hammy; his brand new hat is swapped for a c– .
I’m sure Gumpop is none too pleased to lose his head, only to have it replaced by a slice of …

And so it goes on: Arney loses his chair; Tootle – his dog; Moomoo – a pair of clogs;

Gertie’s house is swapped for a giant m —- .
Tumble’s orange however proves the thief’s undoing.
As he ponders upon a suitable rhyming object with which to replace the juicy item he’s apprehended by a couple of police officers

and marched off to jail.
Not for long though: seemingly our light-fingered jail bird is an expert lock-picker …
This hilarious romp is absolutely brilliant for developing rhyming skills and encouraging prediction, a vital skill in reading for meaning.
Burgerman’s bold, bright, matt illustrations are attention grabbing and deliciously zany.

I’ve signed the charter