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More Spaghetti I Say
With inspiring and educational stories, Scholastic's Hello Reader series caters to the spectrum of reading abilities among beginning readers. My First Hello Readers use basic words to reinforce phonics and sight vocabulary. The books at this level offer punch-out flash cards plus six additional pages of skill-building activities. Levels 1 - 4 combine a greater vocabulary and longer sentence length. Each book has an introductory letter from an education specialist guiding parents on how to help their children learn to read. Preschool - Grades 2.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 23, 2018
As one of Cecily's reviews pointed out the other day, historical linguists figure out how language was pronounced in the past by examining indirect evidence, above all poetry: knowing that something is supposed to rhyme can provide a vital clue. This book, which I read in the dentist's waiting room this morning, could well be useful to some future academic. I can just see them studying the following verses:
No I cannot, I say!"Holy Dawkins! I think I've found it! Smoking ray-gun proof that pre-final 't' was voiced in late twentieth century American! Yes, the other AIs will be sick with envy when they see my article in the Lunar and Inner Planets Journal of Language Change, I must post it without delay..."
No I cannot!
No Freddy!
I can't come out to play!
I am eating spaghetti!
April 1, 2018
This is yet another special review where I review one of my most favorite books from my childhood in rhyme, since this particular children’s book is told in a rhyme!
There were two monkeys named Minnie and Freddy,
Freddy wanted to play, all excited and ready.
But all Minnie wanted was her precious SPAGHETTI,
She wanted that spaghetti more than she wanted to play with Freddy.
More Spaghetti, I say, said Minnie, all happy,
Although Freddy was thinking this was getting too sappy.
With that spaghetti, Minnie did all kinds of things,
Including putting spaghetti on pancakes and ice cream, Minnie sings.
Can Freddy get Minnie off her spaghetti fever?
Read this book just to see her!
Rita Golden Gelman’s writing was just so fun!
I could read this book all day in the sun.
This book made me want to eat some more spaghetti,
If I could eat a thousand bowls of spaghetti, then I am ready!
Minnie and Freddy’s dialogue with each other was wacky and witty!
I wish I had a wacky friend like Minnie in the city!
Although I think it is weird to put spaghetti on everything,
Which just goes to show how wacky this book really is, I sing.
Jack Kent’s artwork is such a delight to see!
All the characters are as cute as can be!
I love the images of spaghetti everywhere,
It really features the prominence of spaghetti in the air!
So overall, “More Spaghetti, I Say!” was such a joy to read!
It is definitely a fantastic book with these words that I heed.
Children everywhere will definitely love the wackiness of this book,
For children ages four and up, it is definitely worth a look!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
There were two monkeys named Minnie and Freddy,
Freddy wanted to play, all excited and ready.
But all Minnie wanted was her precious SPAGHETTI,
She wanted that spaghetti more than she wanted to play with Freddy.
More Spaghetti, I say, said Minnie, all happy,
Although Freddy was thinking this was getting too sappy.
With that spaghetti, Minnie did all kinds of things,
Including putting spaghetti on pancakes and ice cream, Minnie sings.
Can Freddy get Minnie off her spaghetti fever?
Read this book just to see her!
Rita Golden Gelman’s writing was just so fun!
I could read this book all day in the sun.
This book made me want to eat some more spaghetti,
If I could eat a thousand bowls of spaghetti, then I am ready!
Minnie and Freddy’s dialogue with each other was wacky and witty!
I wish I had a wacky friend like Minnie in the city!
Although I think it is weird to put spaghetti on everything,
Which just goes to show how wacky this book really is, I sing.
Jack Kent’s artwork is such a delight to see!
All the characters are as cute as can be!
I love the images of spaghetti everywhere,
It really features the prominence of spaghetti in the air!
So overall, “More Spaghetti, I Say!” was such a joy to read!
It is definitely a fantastic book with these words that I heed.
Children everywhere will definitely love the wackiness of this book,
For children ages four and up, it is definitely worth a look!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
July 4, 2012
I have a very fond childhood memory of the moment I learned how to read. Obviously, it took years of dedicated elementary teachers and countless nights of shared reading with my parents and older sisters, but in my mind, it boils down to one summer with one book. More Spaghetti, I Say! by Rita Golden Gelman will forever be the book that taught me to read. After my kindergarten year, the hotter-than-usual temperatures kept me indoors curled up with my summer reading list. I spent the next three months reading More Spaghetti, I Say! to myself and anyone else who crossed my path. Personal memories aside, More Spaghetti, I Say! makes for a universally memorable read and a great contribution to the classroom. When Freddy looks to Minnie for an afternoon of play, he finds Minnie too busy to play as she gorges on spaghetti. “I love it on pancakes with ice cream and ham,” Minnie declares, “with pickles and cookies, bananas and jam.” The rhyming text flows easily and elicits excited predictions from young readers: What could Minnie possibly put spaghetti on next? As a teacher in a kindergarten classroom, I used More Spaghetti, I Say! as a mentor text in writing, a leveled book for guided reading, and a shared reading experience during read-aloud. The text includes multiple examples of punctuation, grammar, rhyme, and capitalization. It also lends itself to many themed activities with spaghetti, friendship, and monkeys.For teachers in Kindergarten through Second grade, I highly recommend adding More Spaghetti, I Say! to your classroom library.
August 4, 2014
Very cute easy reader that can also be used for a storytime!
February 8, 2015
In the story of a young monkey who is infatuated with spaghetti, she becomes ill and decides to stop eating spaghetti. However, later her friend who wanted her to play and stop eating spaghetti decides to start eating spaghetti as well. I think this book has more of an entertaining and funny purpose rather than teaching a lesson. But, the book does teach that eating too much of something is not a good idea and will not only make you feel sick, but distract you from healthy things such as playing with a friend.
The illustrations in the story are fun to look at and add depth to the text. The facial expressions on Minnie’s face show her love of spaghetti and the way the noodles fly around the fork and bowl show her desperation for the food. I can also tell the characters are children because of their bright, mix-matched outfits and they step on stools to reach the pot of spaghetti. Without the pictures in this book, the reader would not understand the feelings of the characters such as, Freddy’s sadness when Minnie does not want to play, and Minnie’s crazy actions over the spaghetti.
In addition to the illustrations, the dialogue in the story helps establish the mood in the story. Many of the words also rhyme which makes reading the story fun and makes it flow. When Freddy uses short sentences to describe how Minnie looks after eating too much spaghetti, the mood changes to a concernment for Minnie and her health. However it quickly changes as Freddy tries the spaghetti and quickly becomes just as crazy as Minnie was. The repetition of the words, “I love it, I love it, I love it. I do.” makes it fun for the reader to read each time she eats spaghetti, and again when Freddy eats it. The book also uses techniques such as bolding certain words to emphasize on the tone and tell the reader how to say the words. I enjoyed this book and think it is great for early readers.
The illustrations in the story are fun to look at and add depth to the text. The facial expressions on Minnie’s face show her love of spaghetti and the way the noodles fly around the fork and bowl show her desperation for the food. I can also tell the characters are children because of their bright, mix-matched outfits and they step on stools to reach the pot of spaghetti. Without the pictures in this book, the reader would not understand the feelings of the characters such as, Freddy’s sadness when Minnie does not want to play, and Minnie’s crazy actions over the spaghetti.
In addition to the illustrations, the dialogue in the story helps establish the mood in the story. Many of the words also rhyme which makes reading the story fun and makes it flow. When Freddy uses short sentences to describe how Minnie looks after eating too much spaghetti, the mood changes to a concernment for Minnie and her health. However it quickly changes as Freddy tries the spaghetti and quickly becomes just as crazy as Minnie was. The repetition of the words, “I love it, I love it, I love it. I do.” makes it fun for the reader to read each time she eats spaghetti, and again when Freddy eats it. The book also uses techniques such as bolding certain words to emphasize on the tone and tell the reader how to say the words. I enjoyed this book and think it is great for early readers.
May 6, 2015
Personal Reaction: I absolutely ADORE this book. I read this book at least 100 times when I was younger and I know for a fact that my love of reading came from this book. When I read it again for the first time in 14 or so years, I still had much of the book memorized. I love how rhythmic the book is and how it has a really nice flow from page to page.
Purpose: The purpose of this book is for beginner readers to read independently and to practice becoming better readers. The lexile level of this book is 10L, meaning that it is very simple, has almost all common words, and very short sentences. There are no complex or compound sentences and many words and phrases repeat throughout the story. Some examples of this repetition include, "Play with me, Minnie. Play with me, please.", and, "I love it. I love it. I love. I do." The illustrations in this book help support young readers to read the book and decode words that they may not know, such as the word spaghetti and how it is pictured throughout the book. Young children who are just starting to read would enjoy the repetition and rhythmic flow of this book and would have a fairly easy time reading it since most words are sight words and are common to young children.
Purpose: The purpose of this book is for beginner readers to read independently and to practice becoming better readers. The lexile level of this book is 10L, meaning that it is very simple, has almost all common words, and very short sentences. There are no complex or compound sentences and many words and phrases repeat throughout the story. Some examples of this repetition include, "Play with me, Minnie. Play with me, please.", and, "I love it. I love it. I love. I do." The illustrations in this book help support young readers to read the book and decode words that they may not know, such as the word spaghetti and how it is pictured throughout the book. Young children who are just starting to read would enjoy the repetition and rhythmic flow of this book and would have a fairly easy time reading it since most words are sight words and are common to young children.
March 13, 2018
Review:
With inspiring and educational stories, Scholastic's Hello Reader series caters to the spectrum of reading abilities among beginning readers. My First Hello Readers use basic words to reinforce phonics and sight vocabulary. The books at this level offer punch-out flash cards plus six additional pages of skill-building activities. Levels 1 - 4 combine a greater vocabulary and longer sentence length. Each book has an introductory letter from an education specialist guiding parents on how to help their children learn to read. Preschool - Grades 2.
Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because it is great for students preschool-grades 2 to read. The story sends that messages that you should treat others the way you want to be treated. This is an important lesson for students to learn.
Personal Reaction:
I think that this book is fun to read because it is silly and fun. I enjoyed reading about two monkeys who loved to eat spaghetti. I appreciated the message that friendship is more important than food!
With inspiring and educational stories, Scholastic's Hello Reader series caters to the spectrum of reading abilities among beginning readers. My First Hello Readers use basic words to reinforce phonics and sight vocabulary. The books at this level offer punch-out flash cards plus six additional pages of skill-building activities. Levels 1 - 4 combine a greater vocabulary and longer sentence length. Each book has an introductory letter from an education specialist guiding parents on how to help their children learn to read. Preschool - Grades 2.
Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because it is great for students preschool-grades 2 to read. The story sends that messages that you should treat others the way you want to be treated. This is an important lesson for students to learn.
Personal Reaction:
I think that this book is fun to read because it is silly and fun. I enjoyed reading about two monkeys who loved to eat spaghetti. I appreciated the message that friendship is more important than food!
February 15, 2012
This story begs to be read aloud. And since we have the large copy, it will be even more fun. This should be fun.
11/9/10 This was so fun to read. A great song to sing after "Albequergue Turkey." The kids loved the large book format. And I had fun making the sounds with the actions. I think the kids liked it, too.
11/16/10 & 11/18/10 Wonderful reactions to all the ways one could eat spaghetti. (I'll be honest that some sounded good to me, but everyone knows I have bizarre tastes for food.) The kids got involved and I know they liked the big book. Parents liked the story, too.
2/15/12 Didn't have the large copy for this, but the small copy worked--especially in the second, smaller group. It's great that this works so well being read-aloud and that the kids usually like spaghetti. I don't think I read it as well as I have in previous storytimes, but it still worked very well and was a great ending book to the food theme.
11/9/10 This was so fun to read. A great song to sing after "Albequergue Turkey." The kids loved the large book format. And I had fun making the sounds with the actions. I think the kids liked it, too.
11/16/10 & 11/18/10 Wonderful reactions to all the ways one could eat spaghetti. (I'll be honest that some sounded good to me, but everyone knows I have bizarre tastes for food.) The kids got involved and I know they liked the big book. Parents liked the story, too.
2/15/12 Didn't have the large copy for this, but the small copy worked--especially in the second, smaller group. It's great that this works so well being read-aloud and that the kids usually like spaghetti. I don't think I read it as well as I have in previous storytimes, but it still worked very well and was a great ending book to the food theme.
February 1, 2018
Quirky and not to be taken too seriously, this book will appeal to the spaghetti lover with its fun illustrations and nice, rhythmic flow. Don't let it create a monster out of your cravings though; or you might get a little carried away too. *wink*
Reading Level: 1st - 3rd grades
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
Reading Level: 1st - 3rd grades
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
May 5, 2025
Minnie loves spaghetti! She wants to eat it, play with it, and make more of it. Freddy just wants to play with a friend.
More Spaghetti, I Say is reminiscent of Green Eggs and Ham for a younger audience. The obsession and silliness is fun to share. With repetitional phrases, it's a great read aloud to be extravagant. This would also do well with a two team read aloud.
2012 Storytime Theme: Pasta
2024 storytime theme: pasta
Additional themes: spaghetti, monkeys
Reviewed from a library copy.
More Spaghetti, I Say is reminiscent of Green Eggs and Ham for a younger audience. The obsession and silliness is fun to share. With repetitional phrases, it's a great read aloud to be extravagant. This would also do well with a two team read aloud.
2012 Storytime Theme: Pasta
2024 storytime theme: pasta
Additional themes: spaghetti, monkeys
Reviewed from a library copy.
March 24, 2014
More Spaghetti, I Say!
Author: Rita Golden Gelman
Reading Level: 4-7
Gelman, Rita Golden (1993) More Spaghetti, I Say! New York: Scholastic
More Spaghetti, I say! Is a silly book. The story focuses on Minnie, a monkey with a particular fascination with spaghetti.
It's a frivolous, lighthearted tale. The illustrations are distinct and memorable, and they compliment the story very well. It's an easy read; thus, it's quite accessible to younger readers.
Overall, it was an enjoyable book.
Author: Rita Golden Gelman
Reading Level: 4-7
Gelman, Rita Golden (1993) More Spaghetti, I Say! New York: Scholastic
More Spaghetti, I say! Is a silly book. The story focuses on Minnie, a monkey with a particular fascination with spaghetti.
It's a frivolous, lighthearted tale. The illustrations are distinct and memorable, and they compliment the story very well. It's an easy read; thus, it's quite accessible to younger readers.
Overall, it was an enjoyable book.
January 19, 2010
This book is about a monkey who loves spaghetti and his friend wants him to play with him, but he is too busy eating spaghetti. At the end, the monkey who loves spaghetti gets sick and then decides he has time to play, but then his friend starts eating spaghetti and can't play. This book repeats itself and would be good for younger children who have sight words because it has great ones like not, can, I, see, etc...
November 21, 2017
This book provides lot of ways to play with spaghetti and I like it because I love spaghetti. At the end of the book, it provides a list of words that end in the same sounds. These are words in the book that children already read. They can read the words again, read them faster and try to read all 15 words in one minute. I think a lot of kids can relate this book to themselves because they like spaghetti.
May 29, 2012
Freddy wants to play with Minnie but Minnie is too busy eating spaghetti. This book had a lot of potential to teach kids about moderation and portion control but tended to focus on the absurd instead. Minne (and later Freddy's) food obsession is an unfortunately common and now acceptable theme in children's books today.
November 11, 2012
More Spaghetti, I Say! by Rita Golden Gelman, illustrated by Mort Gerberg – The book that was just mentioned: http://taralazar.com/2012/11/08/piboi... because of the approval of a young book advisor to Ame Dyckman made me laugh when I found it on the shelf later the afternoon after I read the post! Really fun terrific book that my son loved reading aloud to me.
March 8, 2013
I love this book! This brought me back to my childhood! It's so much fun to read! It has rhyming words throughout the book. This book is very silly with the monkeys and how Minnie wants to eat her spaghetti all the time and on everything. It teaches that it's okay to love eating something but not all the time because you will get sick and turn green.
June 24, 2015
All Freddy wants if for Minnie to play with him but all Minnie wants to do is eat spaghetti. Minnie can't get enough of spaghetti and will eat it anywhere and on anything. Will Freddy ever get her to play with him?
Best Line-
"I am going to throw it all over the bed, in the air, on your chair, on the floor, ON YOUR HEAD!"
Lesson Ideas- Rhyming, Predictions, Inferring
Best Line-
"I am going to throw it all over the bed, in the air, on your chair, on the floor, ON YOUR HEAD!"
Lesson Ideas- Rhyming, Predictions, Inferring
November 4, 2015
I read this book so many times as a child, and now with my own children, they love reading it to me or having me read it to them. The text is entertaining enough for me to read and not become bored, but simple enough if they want to read it to me. It is written with emotion and humor. Plus it makes spaghetti look so tasty.
May 31, 2017
Good for a lesson on the concept of "Too Much." Minnie is obsessed with spaghetti to the point that she ignores her friend. After eating too much, she gets sick, and decides she is ready to play with Freddy after all. Of course, by this point, Freddy is now consumed with spaghetti.
Less upsetti, more spaghetti!
Less upsetti, more spaghetti!
February 8, 2018
I read this during a pasta-themed storytime. I didn't think the kids would be too into it, but to my surprise, they liked it and paid attention to it to the end.
2018 edit: Upped my rating from 4 stars to 5. I've read this book a few more times to different groups since last year, and I've really fallen in love with it. This is one of my favorite storytime books.
2018 edit: Upped my rating from 4 stars to 5. I've read this book a few more times to different groups since last year, and I've really fallen in love with it. This is one of my favorite storytime books.
June 6, 2008
One of my favorite children's books... ties in perfectly with my favorite pre-school holiday, "Spaghetti Day". (Of course, my class is the only pre-school class, that I know of, that celebrates this pretend holiday each year)!
July 16, 2009
Picture Book
Minnie won't play with Freddy because she's eating spaghetti. Minnie ends up stopping because she feels sick, and Freddy starts eating spaghetti. Now Minnie wants to play, but Freddy is too busy eating.
Minnie won't play with Freddy because she's eating spaghetti. Minnie ends up stopping because she feels sick, and Freddy starts eating spaghetti. Now Minnie wants to play, but Freddy is too busy eating.
January 19, 2010
More Spaghetti is about a monkey who's friend will not play with him because she is eating spaghetti. The story is full of rhyming words and the ending will make the children think and laugh. The book could inspire conversation about favorite foods.
Good book for Kindergarten maybe first grade.
Good book for Kindergarten maybe first grade.
September 3, 2010
I loved this book as a kid!
Minnie LOVES spaghetti and doesn't have time for anything else. Minnie's friend just wants to play. I had parts of it memorized as a kid. This is a cute book for kids.
"Not now, can't you see, I'm eating spaghetti!"
Minnie LOVES spaghetti and doesn't have time for anything else. Minnie's friend just wants to play. I had parts of it memorized as a kid. This is a cute book for kids.
"Not now, can't you see, I'm eating spaghetti!"
October 7, 2010
This is one best to borrow from the library in those first few weeks when a child is beginning to read. It's too simple to be interesting but that's really all that's needed in these first first readers.
November 17, 2015
Do you love spaghetti? If you said no then just leave my review, leave my profile, leave me alone. Did you say yes? Then read this book to your kid, your lover, yourself. Just do it for the love of pasta.
September 29, 2016
My elementary librarian read this story to our class more times than I can count. It's adorable and an easy read that children of all ages will enjoy. I loved passing down this story to my own children.
August 5, 2007
I got this book at a garage sale recently. This book used to be one of my childhood favorites and I thoroughly enjoy reading this to my two kids!
Read
February 1, 2008I had totally forgotten about this book until I saw it on Goodreads just now. Yay! More spaghetti!
Read
March 4, 2009A comical story about a monkey who is obsessed with spaghetti.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews