A MINK, A FINK, A SKATING RINK
by Brian P. Cleary
A Mink, A Fink, A Skating Rink (32 pp.; $12.92; Sept. 7; 1-57505-42-7): This book appropriately abounds with persons, animals, places, and things, while rhymes drop broad hints about using nouns: “Nouns can sometimes be quite proper like Brooklyn Bridge or Edward Hopper,” but also “A pocket, button, sleeve, or cuff—A noun can simply be your stuff.” Cleary leaves explanations of when and why some nouns are capitalized to the textbooks. Prosmitsky’s funny illustrations of tubby cats link some disparate nouns and make them memorable, while a picaresque feline scene on a final two-page spread allows readers to pick out nouns on their own. (Picture book. 7-9)