Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective?

by Brian P. Cleary

Book Overview

Adjectives are words like hairy, scary, cool, and ordinary.

Simple, rhyming text and colorful cartoon cats help children expand their vocabularies and gain an appreciation for the rhythm of language in this lighthearted book of rhyming verse. Adjectives like frilly, silly, polka-dotted, fizzy, and spunky are printed in color, and all the words will tickle you pink

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575054019
• ISBN13: 9781575054018
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (Tm)
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 7.3" x 9.5"
• Age Range: 7 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 6

Customer Reviews

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? (Words Are Cat

My five year old daughter loves this book! Prosmitsky's colorful illustrations make it so much more fun learning the parts of speech. My daughter adores the illustrator's goofy pillow-like cats!

Time to learn your grammar!

These books are so good at helping kids learn the parts of speech. They give so many clear examples of sentences, with the specific part of speech in a different color so everyone will notice it. I used these in a classroom during english class and they all loved it. A+ to this book!

All Primary Teachers Could Use This Book!

As a teacher of third graders, I've used this book and "A MINK, A FINK, A SKATING RINK: WHAT IS A NOUN?" to teach and delight my students, and to take some of the tedium out of parts of speech. Within a day or so of introducing these books, all 27 of my group knew the difference between the major parts of speech. We found out that Mr. Cleary has a website, and I printed out some word-building worksheets off it for free, and a took away a couple of suggestions on how integrate teaching nouns with a fun art project, called the noun quilt, in which each letter of the alphabet has a noun, as in B, BOOT, C, CAT and the students draw the item and eventually it becomes this big old paper quilt full of nouns. His publisher assures me that TO ROOT, TO TOOT, TO PARACHUTE: WHAT IS A VERB? will be in soon, and it's a no-brainer that I'll get that as well.

Hairy, Scary is anything but Ordinary!

This is a great book. It's a neat tool to teach with, and also an interesting trip through the world of adjectives. I think Brian P. Cleary may well be on his way to that rarefied place in children's literature occupied by those manic, witty rhymers Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein. I like how the adjectives are colored to stand out more, and how the book uses language and words that stretch the young reader and never talks down to them. I originally got hooked on the pun series he did with Rick Dupre (illustrator) a few years back, which includes "It Looks a Lot Like Reindeer," and was delighted to see that he's not neglecting the first, second and third graders! Educational, but really hip and a lot of fun, I just loved it and can't wait to buy A Mink, a Fink, A Skating Rink: What is a Noun?

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary : What Is an Adjective?

This book by Brian Cleary is a delightful book live with pictures and relatability to children. They love the illustrations, enjoy listening to the story and then reading it over and over again by themselves. In my third grade classroom, this has been one of the favorites. Brain Cleary's other book (A Mink A Fink A Skating Rink, What is a Noun?) is equally liked and incredible. Thumbs up to two great books that teach content while engaging students in exciting reading!