Puns Similes Metaphors

Check out these children's booksfeaturing word play!

Metaphors

Similes

Puns

Alliteration

Antonyms

Synonyms

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phase describing an object or an idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness between them (for example, "life is a rollercoaster"). Love written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Loren Long (E DE LA PE) "In this heartfelt celebration of love, Newbery Medal-winning author Matt de la Peña and bestselling illustrator Loren Long depict the many ways we experience this universal bond, which carries us from the day we are born throughout the years of our childhood and beyond. With a lyrical text that's soothing and inspiring, this tender tale is a needed comfort and a new classic that will resonate with readers of every age." Click here for this book at the Richland Public Library. Click here for the e-book in English or click here for the e-book in Spanish from Libby/Overdrive. Here are some other children's books we have that include metaphors. Click on the blue text for more information about each.

• Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho (E HO); also available here as an e-book and here as an audiobook from Libby/Overdrive, and here as an audiobook from Hoopla
• Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard (E MAILLARD); also available here as an e-book and here as an audiobook from Libby/Overdrive, and here as an audiobook, here as a movie, and here as a read-along movie from Hoopla
• I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde (E VERDE); also available here as an e-book from Hoopla
• My Heart by Corinna Luyken (E LUYKEN)
• My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook (E COOK); also available here as an e-book from Hoopla
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (E YOLEN); also available here as an audiobook from Libby/Overdrive and here as an audiobook from Hoopla
• Similes and Metaphors e-book by Ann Heinrichs, available from Hoopla
• Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What Are Similes and Metaphors? e-book by Brian P. Cleary, available from Hoopla; also available here as an e-book with audio
• The Tree in Me by Corinna Luyken (E LUYKEN)
• What Did You Say? What Do You Mean? An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Metaphors by Jude Welton and Jane Telford (J 618.9285 WELTON)
• Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer (E ARCHER); also available here as an e-book from Libby/Overdrive

Synonyms are words in the same language that have the same, or nearly the same, meanings. Examples include "happy" and "glad," "big" and "huge," and "shut" and "closed." Pitch and Throw, Grasp and Know: What Is a Synonym? written by Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by Brian Gable (J 428.1 CLEARY) "Clever rhymes and comical illustrations combine to explain the concept of synonyms. The latest addition to the best-selling 'Words Are Categorical?' series, this fun-filled guide uses playful puns and humorous illustrations to creatively clarify the concept of synonyms. Key synonyms appear in color for easy identification to show, not tell, readers what synonyms are all about." Click here for this book at the Richland Public Library, or click here to see other word play books we have by this author at the library. Click here or click here for this e-book, click here for the e-book with video, or click here to see all books we have by this author on Hoopla. Here are some other children's books we have that feature synonyms. Click on the blue text for more information about each.

• A First Thesaurus by Harriet Wittels and Joan Greisman (J 428.1 WITTELS)
• A First Thesaurus: The Word Hunter's Companion by James Green and Arthur Thomas (J 423.1 GREEN)
• Delores Thesaurus audiobook by Jessica Lee Hutchings from Hoopla, also available here as a read-along movie and here as a movie
• Student's Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms e-book by Martin H. Manser, available from Hoopla
• Synonyms and Antonyms e-book by Ann Heinrich, available from Hoopla
• Thesaurus Rex e-book by Laya Steinberg, available from Hoopla
• Thesaurus Rex e-book by Michael Dahl, available from Hoopla

A pun plays with words that have similar or identical sounds but different meanings, or with words that have multiple meanings. Otter Nonsense written by Norton Juster, illustrated by Michael Witte (E JUSTER) "A collection of puns based on animals, including 'lemming meringue pie,' 'crocoduel,' and 'pupsicle.'" Click here for this book at the Richland Public Library. Here are some other children's books we have that involve puns. Click on the blue text for more information about each.

• Alphaboat by Michael Chesworth (EC CHESWORT)
• The Everything Kids' Joke Book: Side-Splitting, Rib-Tickling Fun by Michael Dahl (J 818.602 DAH), also available here as an e-book from Libby/Overdrive
• Funnyman and the Penny Dodo by Stephen Mooser (EZ MOO)
• I Yam a Donkey! by Cece Bell (E BELL)
• Kids Are Punny (J 808.882 KID)
• Michael Dahl's Big Book of Jokes e-book by Michael Dahl, available from Libby/Overdrive
• Pirate's Perfect Pet by Beth Ferry (E FERRY)
• Pun Fun by Ennis Rees (J 398.8 REES)
• Punished! by David Lubar (J LUBAR), also available here as an e-book from Libby/Overdrive and here as an e-book from Hoopla
• Punny Places: Jokes to Make You Happy e-book by June Swanson, available from Hoopla
• Rhyme and PUNishment e-book by Brian P. Cleary, available from Hoopla
• Riddle Roundup: A Wild Bunch to Beef Up Your Word Power! by Guilio Maestro (J 818.54 MAE)
• Suit Your Selfie: A Pearls Before Swine Collection by Stephan Pastis (J GRAPHIC PASTIS)
• Wait, What? Illustrated Puns, Jokes, and Weird Questions by Audrey Bea (E BEA), also available here as an e-book from Hoopla
• Wally the Wordworm by Clifton Fadiman (J FADIMAN)
• Word Play ABC by Heather Cahoon (EC CAHOON)
• Wordplay Café: Cool Codes, Priceless Punzles, and Phantastic Phonetic Phun by Michael P. Kline (J 793.734 KLINE)
• You Loves Ewe! by Cece Bell (E BELL)
• You're So Punny! e-book by Sequoia Children's Publishing from Hoopla, also available here as a read-along e-book
• Zany and Brainy Good Clean Jokes for Kids e-book by Bob Phillips, available from Libby/Overdrive

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two things using words such as "as," "like," "so," and "than." Roar Like a Dandelion written by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier (EC KRAUSS) "Dance with a leaf. Jump like a raindrop. Sit in the sun and shine. This imaginative story from Ruth Krauss--one of the most beloved children's book authors of all time--and celebrated artist Sergio Ruzzier is a remarkable collaboration that captures the timeless spirit of Krauss's signature wit and humor. Paired with Ruzzier's irresistible drawings, this story will delight readers of all ages and inspire them to roar like dandelions." Click here for this book at the Richland Public Library. Here are some other children's books we have that feature similes. Click on the blue text for more information about each.

• As: A Surfeit of Similes by Norton Juster (J 808.19 JUSTER)
• Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story by Loreen Leedy (E LEEDY)
• Friendship is Like a Seesaw by Shona Innes (E INNES)
• I Love You Like a Pig by Mac Barnett (E BARNETT)
• In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb by Marion Dane Bauer (E BAUER)
• Like a Dandelion by Huy Voun Lee (E LEE)
• Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration by Samara Cole Doyon (E DOYON); also available here as an audiobook, here as a movie, and here as a read-along movie from Hoopla; and here as an e-book and here as an audiobook from Libby/Overdrive
• Muddy as a Duck Puddle and Other American Similes by Laurie Lawler (J 425.5 LAWLOR)
• How to Solve a Problem: The Rise (and Falls) of a Rock-Climbing Champion by Ashima Shiraishi (E SHIRAISH), also available here as an audiobook from Libby/Overdrive
• Quack Like a Duck by Harriet Ziefert (EB ZIEFERT)
• Quick as a Cricket by Audrey Wood (E WOOD)
• Seashells: More Than a Home by Melissa Stewart (J 594.1477 STEWART)
• Similes and Metaphors e-book by Ann Heinrichs, available from Hoopla
• Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What Are Similes and Metaphors? e-book by Brian P. Cleary, available from Hoopla; also available here as an e-book with audio
• Stand Like a Cedar by Nicola I. Campbell (E CAMPBELL), also available here or here as an e-book from Hoopla
• Wild Feelings by David Milgrim (E MILGRIM)

An antonym is a word having a meaning opposite to that of another word (for example, "big" is an antonym for "small"). Stop and Go, Yes and No: What Is an Antonym? written by Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by Brian Gable (J 428.1 CLEARY) "What is an antonym? Find out by enjoying the clever rhymes and comical illustrations of the concept of opposites." Click here for this book at the Richland Public Library, or click here to see other word play books we have by this author. Click here for the e-book, click here for the e-book with video, or click here to see all books we have by this author on Hoopla. Here are some other children's books we have that feature antonyms. Click on the blue text for more information about each.

• Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson (EF WILSON)
• Big, Small, Short, Tall by Loreen Leedy (E LEEDY)
• Dry or Wet? by Bruce McMillan (E MCMILLAN)
• Exactly the Opposite by Tana Hoban (E HOBAN)
• A High, Low, Near, Far, Loud, Quiet Story by Nina Crews (E CREWS)
• Let's Learn Opposites e-book by Tessa Kanan, available from Libby/Overdrive
• The Opposite Zoo by Il Sung Na (E NA)
• Opposites by George Siede (E SIEDE)
• Opposites by Sandra Boynton (EB BOYNTON)
• Opposites e-book by Sequoia Children's Publishing, available from Hoopla
• Opposites by Tony Mitton (EB MITTON)
• Opposites All Around Me: Wet and Dry e-book by Amy Culliford, available from Hoopla
• Opposites and More! A Vocabulary Builder Video DVD by Baby BumbleBee (J DVD 401.43 OPP)
• Outdoor Opposites by Brenda Williams (E WILLIAMS)
• Sam's Opposites by Yves Got (E GOT)
• Student's Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms e-book by Martin H. Manser, available from Hoopla
• Synonyms and Antonyms e-book by Ann Heinrich, available from Hoopla
• What's Up Duck? A Book of Opposites by Tad Hills (EB HILLS), also available here as an e-book from Libby/Overdrive
• A Whisper is Quiet by Carolyn Lunn (EZ LUNN)

Alliteration involves the repetition of consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables. It often appears at the beginnings of words (for example, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers"). Animalia written and illustrated by Graeme Base (EC BASE) "With millions of copies sold around the world, Graeme Base’s amazing alliterative alphabet book is one of the most beloved titles of all time. Animalia’s incredible imaginary world intrigues readers of all ages, with hidden objects and ideas on every page. Start with 'A is for An Armoured Armadillo Avoiding an Angry Alligator' and you’ll find aprons, ants, aces, Atom-brand anchovies, and much more. The rest of the alphabet is just as much fun!" Click here for this book at the Richland Public Library. Here are some other children's books we have that feature alliteration. Click on the blue text for more information about each.

• Aster Aardvark's Alphabet Adventures by Steven Kellogg (EC KELLOGG)
• Astute Animals from A to Z with Assonance and Alliteration e-book by Jaclyn Howell from Hoopla
• Bootsie Barker Bites by Barbara Bottner (E BOTTNER)
• Chips and Cheese and Nana's Knees e-book by Brian P. Cleary from Hoopla; also available here as a read-along e-book
• Crocodile Listens by April Pulley Sayre (E SAYRE)
• Fishing in the Air by Sharon Creech (E CREECH)
• Four Famished Foxes and Fosdyke by Pamela Duncan Edwards (E EDWARDS), or click here to see all books we have by this author
• Live Lions Live on Land by Carey Molter (J 428.1 MOLTER), about homophones
• Princess Pigtoria and the Pea by Pamela Duncan Edwards (E EDWARDS)
• Rosie's Roses by Pamela Duncan Edwards (E EDWARDS)
• Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan Edwards (E EDWARDS)
• Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges (EC STURGES)
• The Wacky Wedding: A Book of Alphabet Antics by Pamela Duncan Edwards (E EDWARDS)
• Willie's Word World by Don L. Curry (EZ CURRY)
• The Worrywarts by Pamela Duncan Edwards (E EDWARDS)