Skippy Jon Jones

Thanks today goes to Frank, Christina and Thomas, my niece and nephews who first introduced me to "Skippyjon Jones".  My one regret about this book is that it wasn't around when my kids were small.  I would have loved to have been able to read it out loud to them. A story about a hyperactive kitten is definitely our type of story.
Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese cat with an active imagination. Emphasis being on both "active" and "imagination".
Skippyjon always starts his adventures with a catharsis of some sort. In his first book, Skippyjon Jones is sent to his room as a punishment for pretending he was a bird. Of course being a bird meant he had to eat worms for breakfast. Obviously that didn't sit well with his mother.
While bouncing on his bed, he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror. In a Spanish accent he says,  "Holy Guacamole! My ears are too big for my head! My head is too big for my body!"
Skippy then decides he is a Chihuahua named El Skippito. He bravely fights bad guys with his great sword fighting abilities. The results, as you can imagine, are hilarious.
Skippyjon Jones' pictures are bright, exaggerated and colorful. In the text, he uses a lot of Spanish. This helps children learn a second language. Learning aside however, this book is just plain fun. The adventures, expressions and mannerisms of Skippyjon Jones will leave you laughing from start to finish.
"Skippyjon Jones" is written and illustrated by Judy Schachner. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family which includes 2 Siamese. In 20004 she won the E B White Read Aloud Award for "Skippyjon Jones". In addition to the Skippyjon books, she has written  "Yo, Vikings", a book based on her daughter's real life quest to acquire a viking ship, "I know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly", and "Willy and May", in addition to others. All of her books are illustrated with her unique illustrations.
Besides "Skippyjon Jones:, there are other five other Skippyjon books.  All of them are funny and imaginative. All of them will bring a good deal of enjoyment to whoever decides to read them.
Skippyjon Jones is a book that reminds us how much fun it can be to be a kid again. Imagination shouldn't be under utilized. Go out there and fight the banditos....but no more worms for breakfast!