Rhyme crime by Jon Burgerman

Burgerman is a popular artist who originated in the UK and now lives in the US. This is his second picture book. I had never heard of him.

This turns out to be a very sad thing, because his latest book is hilarious and now I need his first one too, Splat.

A shadowy hand steals across the page and snatches.... Hammy's hat! But it's not just gone - it's replaced with a cat! All through the book a wicked thief is committing rhyme crimes, replacing things with their rhyming equivalent. Cake is replaced with a snake, a house with a mouse, and, hilariously, a smile turns into a crocodile! But when an orange is stolen, the thief is stumped. There's no rhyme for orange! The thief is taken to jail and that's the end of the story - and the rhymes. Or is it?

Burgerman's art reminds me a little of the Little Miss and Mr. Men series. While there are some recognizable animals, most of the characters are sort of blobby and twisty characters. One puffy pink character has a trunk and snout, another looks a little like a blue owl without a beak, and there are several pig-like creatures.Their backgrounds are blazing neon yellow, blue, pink, and green.

Verdict: The broad splotches of color and garish creatures are a little blinding, but pull them farther away from the reader in a storytime and this is perfect. A great book for silly giggles, practicing rhyming, and just having fun! Recommended.

ISBN: 9780735228849; Published 2018 by Dial/Penguin; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library