Homographs—words spelled and pronounced the same but with different meanings—are the subject of a playful picture book that pairs a variety of animals with their identically named actions. Chatty yaks yak. An annoying bug bugs his companions. Frightened quails quail in fear. Curious cranes crane their necks. Greedy hogs hog all the apples. Each page spread features a single homograph pair and a whimsical scene in which one or more of the anthropomorphized animals are engaged in the act their name also represents. A definition for the action is provided on the page spread while a chart in the back lists all of the words (both animal and action) and their etymology. (In many cases, the action word comes from the animal’s behavior.) What is the homograph pair for young humans? “Kids kid” of course! (Ages 5–8)

At once funny and informative, Yaks Yak presents animals acting out the verbs made from their names.

Illustrations rich in comic details show hogs hogging, slugs slugging, and other spirited creatures demonstrating homographs, words with different meanings that are spelled and pronounced the same. A chart listing the words, their meanings, and their history is included.

Ideal for sharing, this book offers a sprightly and fanciful introduction to a fun form of wordplay from Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park.

An Amazon Best Children’s Book of the Year * A Nonfiction Shelf Awareness Best of the Year