Perfect Picture Book Fridays – Listen Buddy

My choice this week for Perfect Picture Book Fridays is the hilarious picture book, Listen Buddy

Title: Listen Buddy
Author: Helen Lester Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company 1997
Ages: Pre K- 8
Themes: Animals, Adventure, Humor, Consequences, Listening Skills
Opening/Synopsis:

Buddy’s father had a beautiful big nose. He was a great sniffer.
Buddy’s mother had beautiful big teeth. She was a great chomper.
Buddy had beautiful big ears. It didn’t matter.
When Buddy’s parents sent him to the vegetable stand to get a basket of squash,

he came home with a basket of wash.

From Publishers Weekly – (Warning! Spoilers!)

His ears are enormous, but listening is not the forte of a bunny named Buddy. And his misinterpretations of his parents’ requests make for the sort of silly confusion that youngsters love: when his father asks for a pen, Buddy drags in a disgruntled hen; instead of the slice of bread his mother wants, Buddy turns up with the sawed-off headboard from a bed. Taking his first solo “long hop,” Buddy forgets whether he is supposed to take a left or a right when the road forks. He selects the wrong route, of course, and ends up at the cave of the Scruffy Varmint, where he unleashes merry mayhem in trying to help that cranky creature cook soup. After the varmint decides that he’d rather eat stew made from “the Bunny rabbit who never listens,” Buddy hears him loud and clear. If lacking the all-out pizazz of Lester and Munsinger’s Tacky the Penguin, this sprightly paced tale amiably nudges kids whose direction-following skills need some honing. Munsinger’s watercolors-and Buddy’s comical expressions in particular-are characteristically entertaining. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Activities:

I found a neat little children’s play based on Listen Buddy

iTunes has a Listen Buddy app

Helen Lester’s & Lynn Munsinger’s Houghton Mifflin Author & Illustrator page

Playing a game like “Telephone” is a fun way to to teach children about listening
Why I like this book: I love the humor in Listen Buddy. The funny things Buddy comes up with when his parents request something (“hen” instead of “pen”) will make the reader giggle. Munsinger’s delightful illustrations are a perfect combination with Lester’s comedic writing. It’s a fun way to introduce children to the concept of paying attention and listening to instructions.

Perfect Picture Book Fridays are a weekly blog event where participants review some of their favorite picture books. The posts are compiled on author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website. They are categorized by theme to help parents, educators and readers find the perfect picture book easily. To learn more, please visit Susanna’s site where you will find the complete PPBF’s library.