Drip, Drop: (I Can Read Books: Level 1)

Drip! Drop! Plip! Plop! "Oh, no!" cried Pip Squeak. "I've got a leak!" A nighttime rainstorm sends Pip Squeak scrambling to catch the drips pouring through his leaky roof. But the drops just won't stop, and soon it's wetter inside the house than out! Sarah Weeks's spirited story and Jane Manning's dazzling pictures will delight beginning readers as they follow Pip Squeak's comic adventure to the very last drop!

Review :
?Weeks continues her watery-themed flow of beginning readers ("Splish Splash!," not reviewed) with this entry in the I Can Read Book series. A charmingly domesticated rodent named Pip Squeak is struggling with that perplexing problem every homeowner dreads: the drips and drops and plips and plops of a leaky roof in a major rainstorm. Poor Pip Squeak is ready to snooze in yellow-striped pajamas and dapper bathrobe, longing to rest his head on his pillow printed with slices of Swiss cheese. Instead, he spends his entire night racing from one dripping leak to another, using every available container to catch the drops. The story is told in simple, short sentences with repeating phrases, picture clues, and a variety of simple rhyme schemes that help new readers predict the text. The straightforward but amusing story and large, clear illustrations also make "Drip, Drop" an appropriate choice for a group story session for preschoolers, perhaps for a thematic story hour focusing on mice or water. Manning's ("Cindy Ellen, " p.636, etc.) droll illustrations use a contemporary palette of mango and lavender, with lots of light blue raindrops, and she fashions an appealing personality for the unfortunate mouse, who finally gets to nap in the morning when the sun comes up. It's hard to create a strong easy reader that works as both a teaching tool and an effective picture book, but Pip Squeak has the muscle to carry it off.? --"Kirkus Reviews" "Poor Pip Squeak, a long-nosed, beady-eyed mouse, can't sleep because his roof is leaking. As he lies in bed, first a drip hits him on his head, then his foot, and then his chin until his bed is covered with pots and pans. As the leaks multiply, the waterfills all of his containers from tub to shoe, from hat to glass, until finally the weary rodent's home is nearly submerged. Just as he hangs his head in defeat, the sun comes out and the drips stop as suddenly as they started. While his friends now want to jump in puddles, Pip just wants to jump back in bed. Rhyming text and the repetition of a couple of key phrases (Drip! Drop!/Plip! Plop!') make this effective as a beginning reader. Short, simple sentences keep the action moving along while a single problem focuses readers' attention. The snappy narrative is coupled with expressive, silly illustrations. With a smooth wash of color, these bright and flowing cartoons create a sense of growing disorder. Pip, with his orange-and-yellow striped pajamas, loose, sagging bathrobe, and enormous mousy ears, is an endearing character who gamely battles the growing tide with Cat in the Hat' ingenuity?as he contentedly dreams of cheese, readers can't help but smile at his well-earned sleep.? --"School Library Journal"