Practice Make Perfect

Yoko & Friends: School Days #10

by Rosemary Wells, Jody Wheeler (Illustrator)

Timothy doesn't play an instrument, but he's determined to have a solo in the clas talent show. How can he learn enough about music to shine on stage? His good friend, Yoko, knows how: practice, practice, practice.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Rosemary Wells is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. She often uses animal characters to address real human issues. Some of her most well-known characters are Max & Ruby and Timothy from Timothy Goes To School (both were later adapted into Canadian-animated preschool television series, the former’s airing on Nickelodeon (part of the Nick Jr. block) and the latter’s as part of PBS Kids on PBS).

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timothy wants to play a solo in the talent show, but he can't really play an instrument and he cannot read music at all. His friend Yoko offers to teach him how to play Sarna bells.

[June Pecchia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story of boisterous Timothy encouraged by friends, teacher and family to find a good instrument to play. This is followed up with his friend Yoko coaching him gently to perform a piece on the new instrument at school.

Wells got the cultural details right by matching a character named Yoko whose mother dresses up in a kimono, serves red-bean ice cream and yellow bean cakes, and has the children sit on a tatami mat.

Lovely personal note to parents from author Rosemary Wells on the last page, telling of Wells' own experiences reading aloud to her children.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timothy and his class mates are having a talent show but he can't play instruments or read music. Yoko can play the violin very pretty. So she sees how sad he is and she volunteers to teach him to play. A very nicely written 'friendship' book.

[Artemis · Rating 4 out of 5]

an easy reader for who knows "present simple tense", "can", and starts to learn "past simple tense"

[Elanor]

All by herself!