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I Scream Ice Cream! A Book of Wordles

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What do "I Scream!" and "Ice Cream!" have in common? Nothing--besides the fact that they sound the same! The ever-surprising Amy Krouse Rosenthal unleashes her prolific wit in this silly and smart book of wordplay. Perfectly complemented by equally clever illustrations from the talented and internationally renowned Serge Bloch, this mind-bending book will have young readers thinking about words in an entirely new way!

40 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

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About the author

Amy Krouse Rosenthal

96 books1,110 followers


SHORT BIO:

Amy Krouse Rosenthal was.
She divided her time.


NOT SO SHORT BIO:

Amy Krouse Rosenthal was a person who liked to make things.
Some things she liked to make include:

Children's books. (Little Pea, Spoon, DuckRabbit)
Grown-up books. (Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life)
Short films. (The Beckoning of Lovely, The Money Tree)
Guided journals. (The Belly Book)
Something out of nothing. (see above)

A longtime contributor to WBEZ and to the TED conference,
Amy lived with her family in Chicago and online at whoisamy.com.

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5 stars
114 (17%)
4 stars
204 (31%)
3 stars
252 (39%)
2 stars
61 (9%)
1 star
13 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
Profile Image for Jon Nakapalau.
6,822 reviews1,075 followers
May 4, 2022
Words that sound the same but mean different things...excellent for young children. I like books like this that bring back memories; and this book did that for me. Amazing the things you remember when you reflect on how you learned the deeper meanings of language - the little mistakes you made (and - in my case - the mistakes I still make) when you are learning!
Profile Image for J9.
2,314 reviews132 followers
October 23, 2013
A great educational book for your children of all ages. My 5 yr old loved it as well as my 3 yr old twins. Lots of good information with beautiful pictures that will help keep children engaged. Shows how to play on words. A great addition to any children's library.
Profile Image for Fjóla.
450 reviews26 followers
August 12, 2016
This is a clever book. I wasn't sure if my almost 5 year old would get it, but he did and he really enjoyed trying to guess the wordles: I scream, ice cream. Reindeer, rain dear. I see, icy. Of course, most of the combinations are pretty ridiculous. My son's favorite was: Princess cape, prince escape. Especially since that princess really had him worried, "she's mean" he said. And the yarn incorporated into the illustration was pretty cool.

So, even if it's not a very long, or dense book, it's pretty successful, getting kids to think about words, the way they're spelled and how they sound. And it's fun. I rather liked the design of the book and the mixed media in the illustrations, although most of the drawings left me cold. And I didn't like their sneaking a book ad into the last page spread, as I'm a little touchy about directing ads at kids. I think it's quite enough to have something in that vein on the back cover of a book ...

I'd rate it 3 1/2 stars if I could
15 reviews
February 5, 2014
"I Scream Ice Cream" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Serge Bloch is a fun, witty book that teaches the concept of Wordles. These Wordles are phrases that sound the same but mean different things and alongside the excellent use of punctuation Wordles become a funny and creative way to teach. This clever play on words is accompanied by vivid and entertaining illustrations that are useful in helping to understand the text. With each page turn becoming a guessing game, this book can be enjoyed by families, small groups, and young children alike. Each picture compliments its' respective phrase perfectly and betters the understanding of what each phrase means. From funnel cakes to princes, this book leaves the reader guessing about what is coming next. Guessing the next phrase correctly or being completely surprised adds to the excitement and entertainment of the book. Although at times the vocabulary can seem a little advanced and the Wordles a bit forced, this book is for the most part a very enjoyable teaching tool.
Profile Image for Tracie.
1,856 reviews47 followers
May 30, 2013
Phrases like "I scream!" and "Ice cream!" have little in common--but they sound the same. In this silly and smart book, author Amy Krouse Rosenthal gathers together an intriguing and giggle-inducing collection of these "wordles:" groups of homophones, or words that sound alike but have very different meanings. Expressive mixed-media drawings transform the seemingly nonsensical wordles into out-of-the-ordinary picture stories. Kids who enjoy wordplay and puns will have fun predicting the wacky wordles and eccentric imagery that unfolds with each page turn. I Scream! Ice Cream! is a lively and original way to encourage creative thinking and careful listening in young readers.
Profile Image for Drew Graham.
1,071 reviews40 followers
October 7, 2016
Some words sound the same but mean very different things!

Remember Mad Gab? This is that game in book form. It has some amusing phrases (and some bizarre illustrations) but some of them seemed like a stretch, and went over my lap reader's head (3). I like the idea, but I couldn't quite tell who was this book's target reader. Sorry, Amy.
Profile Image for Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy).
2,546 reviews745 followers
March 13, 2013
Similar to Wumbers, Krouse Rosenthal's new book I Scream Ice Scream is a uniquely done book. Though some of the wordles are easier to guess/grasp a few are clunky. Overall, an enjoyable book.
Profile Image for Carol.
1,776 reviews22 followers
July 30, 2013
I love Serge Bloch's illustrations! The silly wordles that compries the text were hit or miss with me. Some made sense and were humorous, others were so nonsensical you really had to stretch to catch the connections.
Profile Image for Cathy.
185 reviews2 followers
May 20, 2017
Very creative book that kids will get a kick out of. Illustrations are grand and the book of wordles offer lots of giggle moments! Definitely a page turner to get to the next wordle. Favorite: Reindeer and Rain, dear.
Profile Image for Beverly.
6,298 reviews4 followers
May 12, 2013
Some combinations of words/phrases work better than others, but all of the selections are a lot of fun. Crazy, cartooney illustrations.
Profile Image for Beth.
1,661 reviews26 followers
August 21, 2013
I was not as impressed with this as I thought I would be. Some of the wordles were hard to guess, and when revealed, didn't make sense. The author gets a point for creativity, though.
Profile Image for Nancy Jo Lambert.
1,070 reviews113 followers
January 28, 2014
With this book, maybe I was expecting too much? I feel like a lot of the wordles fell flat, and I don't see the kids just loving it. It's ok, but not a first purchase.
Profile Image for Ashley Adkins.
310 reviews6 followers
May 10, 2017
Love, love, love this book and the play on words. Very creative and really gets you thinking! Simple idea but lots of fun!
Profile Image for Patricia N. McLaughlin.
Author 2 books37 followers
June 5, 2018
No, a “wordle” is not “groups of words that sound exactly the same but mean different things.” According to macmillandictionary.com, “a ‘wordle’ is a visual depiction of the words contained in a piece of text. Generated by a web-based tool of the same name, a wordle is created by manipulating the words of an input text and arranging them into a kind of graphic,” such as a word cloud. Shouldn’t the editors of Chronicle Books have caught this error at the concept phase? Never mind the inane “wordles” and the shameless plug for one of the author’s books on the last page. Ugh.
Profile Image for Randy.
847 reviews
February 16, 2017
Phrases that sound the same, but mean different things are called wordles. This book, with playful illustrations, displays a phrase and then a wordle for it.

I picked this book up because it looked like it would be fun to share this with my students.

I finished it because I wanted to try and guess all of the wordles.

I would recommend this to Dave. He would have fun with it, too.
Profile Image for Sandy Brehl.
Author 9 books135 followers
July 9, 2013
I'm a sucker for word play books, and this one is a great example. It not only encourages kids to experiment with language, listening attentively for ear/brain tricks, but it also demonstrates totally the importance of reading both the text and illustrations when making sense while reading. Context is powerful, and even the littlest kiddos can figure that out with this book.
Profile Image for Shelli.
5,208 reviews56 followers
September 23, 2013
Wordles are words that sound the same but mean something different. For example “I Scream” and “Ice cream” sound nearly identical yet mean vary different things. This picture book is filled with many other Wordles that force the reader to think about how a group of words can be used in an entirely different way.
Profile Image for Elizabeth .
640 reviews12 followers
July 31, 2018
Okay, this book is super clever! And often, I try and try to think of what might come next...but come up with nothing until I turn the page...and voila!

Why didn't I think of that?!

You really gotta say it aloud. With emphasis! With different syllables, different words stressed!

SO much fun!
Profile Image for stillme.
2,492 reviews7 followers
May 15, 2013
Fun word play. Some of them work better than others. The illustrations are really retro and bold, but what I liked best about them was that the boy is holding Rosenthal's Little Pea at the end. Peace mitten/Pea smitten, indeed.
Profile Image for Laura.
616 reviews19 followers
June 9, 2013
Great book for middle grades.illustrations are pencil, collage, watercolor and various other mixed media. Great concept. Helps students think about how we speak and how word choices can impact our communication.
Profile Image for Great Books.
3,034 reviews60 followers
June 22, 2013
Wordles are "groups of words that sound exactly the same but mean different things." Families will enjoy guessing the matching wordles such as "heroes" and "he rows." The accompanying, humorous illustrations add to the fun. Reviewer 11.
102 reviews3 followers
July 15, 2013
Wordles are "groups of words that sound exactly the same but mean different things." Families will enjoy guessing the matching wordles such as "heroes" and "he rows." The accompanying, humorous illustrations add to the fun.
Profile Image for Laura.
2,067 reviews43 followers
August 18, 2013
This fun book incorporates word play with wordles that prompts readers to guess the next set of words. "Wordles are groups of words that sound exactly the same but mean different things." Kids who enjoy word games will enjoy this quick and fun book.
Profile Image for Tiffany.
264 reviews4 followers
December 11, 2013
My 6 year old loved trying to figure these out and since we read it together for the first time, she has read it to herself several times since then. They are funny little brain teasers which she really enjoys.
63 reviews
December 13, 2013
This traditional picture book covers the topic of wordles. It is a silly and funny book. It could be used for enjoyment or an english lesson. Therefore I could be read by students between kindergarden and fourth grade.
Profile Image for Sarah Threlkeld.
4,828 reviews28 followers
December 26, 2014
As a self-proclaimed word nerd I am shocked that I hadn't heard of wordles until reading this book. Such fun to try to figure out the reinterpreted phrase on the next page of each set. This would be a wonderful supplemental text for language arts in the elementary grades.
Profile Image for Laura Giessler.
1,167 reviews
October 7, 2015
A book of "wordles"--phrases with different words that sound the same--that invites the reader to guess the matching phrase. Great for getting kids to think about words, and the illustrations are fun. Some are better than others.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews