Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1984
Ages: 6 and up
Themes: humorous books, word puzzles
Opening: C U N 10-S-E. (answer: See you in Tennessee)
Summary: (from my library catalog) Letters, numbers, and symbols are used to create the sounds of words and simple sentences which U R expected to figure out with the aid of illustrations.
I like this book because: I LOVE PUZZLES. Doesn’t everyone? The intended age level was 6-9, but that’s preposterous! I bet my gray-haired uncle would have enjoyed this too (okay, he went gray at 21, but I didn’t know him then). According to a contribution to THE ART OF WILLIAM STEIG by his daughter Maggie, Steig played a drawing game called ‘Five Lines’*, in which one person draws five random lines on paper and another adds to them, creating a face. Try it!
Resources/activities: read together with Steig’s first picture book from 1968: CDB!; have each student come up with one image and word puzzle, or let them work in teams. Play Five Lines*, mentioned above.
Today’s tidbit: From KidsReads.com: “Steig passed his father’s ideas about art and work on to his own children by encouraging them never to take nine-to-five jobs: his son Jeremy is a jazz flautist, daughter Lucy a painter, and Maggie an actress.”
julie rowan-zoch 
Julie, this book looks super cool. I have been looking for a book for my reluctant reader. This may be a good fit. Thanks for posting!
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Your RR is lucky to have you as a guide through that dense forest of intimidating books!
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I’ve heard of this, Julie gal. Must order it. I know another book for reluctant readers rnewman504. Zompoemz by Catherine Johnson. Fantastic for reluctant readers. Julie, I finally got You’re Two from your bookstore. THE LAST signed copy. WHEW. It’s on its way. Zooming through space. I should have it the first of the week. YEAH! I meant to get by before this. But I had hospital stuff with my Christopher and NaNo. 30,000 words, woman! TOOT TOOT! (I feel I must toot my horn.) Huh, hug, hug! Will look into this book.
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I remember reading (trying my best) CDB to my son. Wow! It was a challenge. I did not realize he had another title like it. I’ll have to see how I do with this one! Ha! P.S. How did you create your “winks”? I love that!
Michelle
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Now you’re going to have to tell me what a wink is!
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Ah! It’s a WP feature, if you can’t find it uder ‘appearance’ google it.
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I had this book! My favorite was always : V-F 8-10 D L-F-N featuring African natives pointing to the bones of a giant pachyderm. Thanks, Jules.
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This one and CDB are favorites around my house! And they are fun to share at school! Thanks for the fun!
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Oh My! My brain is fried just figuring out the puzzles on this page. Maybe because I just got off the phone with my phone company trying to add airtime to a different phone for two hours!!
Will have to get this one for when I’m fresher in mind. First thing in morning. 🙂 (maybe,,,)
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I can imagine the scramble in your brain!
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My brain is not working; it’s having trouble figuring some of those out! I blame it on having to get up early to attend an all-day SCBWI event. 🙂
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What a grand book for kids and their parents. Couldn’t figure out the second one or the one Joanne shared. I usually am good with word play.
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AH – This is amazing!!! AWESOME idea for a book! I’m searching for this! 😀
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You might enjoy some fun ones from Jon Agee as well!
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Double-searching now! 😉
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Another humorous title. I loved (still do) word puzzles like this. I still remember one: mnxrlt4u (ham and eggs are healthy for you.) But that devil would have scared me silly!
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Wonder if that devil would fly today.
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Me too!
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