A fun and educational book about the importance of punctuation. It is a bit lengthy for younger grades (1sr-2nd), but could be broken into smaller chunks of read aloud time.

The illustrations in this are whimsical and colorful and so well done, I loved them! And the story is good for helping kids understand punctuation in a fun and interesting way. This would be a good addition to any home library.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Punctuation to the Rescue. I was really excited to read this story, as the concept of punctuational characters is not common, but it was kind of a let-down. It wasn't a bad book, but it felt more story-driven than being educational about the purpose of punctuation. The overall story of the punctuation fixing then leaving the island didn't make a lot of sense to me, because how will the words stay organized without the punctuation? I think we will skip this one, but I did really like the concept!

A fun and adventure-filled picture book about the role of punctuation!
This book is a fun elementary read that would be a great pairing with a lesson./activity having to do with punctuation marks and their uses. I love how the author personified the different punctuation in ways that matched how the mark is used in real life (like the exclamation point being excitable and loud). I loved the 'Island of Chaos' bit, and this could be a fun thing for kids to do alongside the book characters (I also had no idea what a Pilcrow was and had to Google it while reading).
Overall a definite fun read!

Punctuation to the Rescue was so cute! The illustrations were absolutely adorable and kept my 4 year old engaged and laughing through every page. I think the target audience is closer to early elementary school as my son didn't truly understand all of the different punctuations...I even learned something new with the explanation of pilcrow. Overall, I think this would be a fun way to introduce punctuation to an elementary aged kiddo.

As a side note, we read this through NetGalley reader on a desktop and I believe some of the text boxes didn't display correctly and covered up some of the illustrations.

I had high hopes for this book as I'm teaching punctuation but ultimately this felt more story and less actual information on punctuation to me. The punctuation get lost and they end up on the island of chaos. They are forced into saving the day and making sentences out of the words that have been running wildly around the island. Then they have fixed everything -- but when they leave wouldn't the words be in chaos again without punctuation? The informational part focused almost entirely on period (with some references to exclamation marks) and really didn't talk about the other punctuation marks. I suppose it might be a light-hearted and fun way to talk about punctuation in early elementary. I can see my son's teacher in Kindergarten using it to introduce kids to punctuation but anything more than that I don't think it would work. This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

My daughter and I read this book together. She's not a very confident reader and there were quite a lot of tricky words but the storyline kept her interested to read to the end.

The story was good and it was beautifully illustrated, my only criticism would be that as a picture book some of the words might be too complicated for young children.

Overall, it was a lovely book to read and we enjoyed it.

This is a delightful book for upper elementary aged readers to teach them about punctuation in a really fun and silly way! I do think it was a bit long, but overall its an educational book that I think will draw its readers in while teaching them how important it is to use punctuation properly.

This book is perfect for kids learning grammar. It makes it easier to understand and to learn about proper use for punctuation.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy to review.

This book I think was needed. I don't see a lot of picture books that cover punctuation in a fun picture book format. I think this book would be really helpful for children just learning about punctuation. I love how when each punctuation mark speaks that they use they own punctuation symbol. Great way to review while you are reading. I will be requesting this book for my library.

A fun and factual picture book explaining and celebrating the importance of punctuation.

The colourful and quirky illustrations work well alongside this story, which is both entertaining and educational. The story captured the imagination of my children and cleverly introduced often-underappreciated punctuation and its purpose.

After a fun-filled adventure, order is restored with the help of excited Exclamation, curious Question Mark, the thoughtful pauses of Comma, and conclusive Period (or Full Stop as it is known in Australia).

With many thanks to Fleecydale Press, Cheryl Olsten and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a digital review copy of this book.

This book would be an ideal resource for parents and teachers, to support young readers and explore punctuation in a fun and engaging way!

This children's book is terrific. It would be best suited for upper elementary and possibly EL classrooms. The only suggestion I have would be to make the italicized words a bit bigger to draw attention to them. I had to squint to see them. Nice job and I love the more advanced vocabulary words.

I thought that this was a great book, but it was a little bit lengthy for a kids' book. I found myself getting a bit lost halfway through before the story got back on track. I think the key to getting this book down to a more reasonable length would be removing the bit where Period falls into the water. I thought it didn't really add to the overall story, and it didn't serve any crucial purpose. However, every other plot point made sense, and helped the story move forward in a smooth fashion. As for the story itself: so clever! It's entertaining and, at the same time, it illustrates the importance of proper punctuation, and how we shouldn't take something that seems so simple for granted. Lastly, I adored how each punctuation mark had its own unique and distinct personality, even the "non-main" characters. Bravo!

I can't resist a children's book about punctuation. In "Punctuation to the Rescue", our characters set sail in search of adventure...and find an island in desperate need of, well, punctuation.

This is a cute and playful way to introduce kids to—or remind them about—the different roles that basic punctuation serves. Like other picture books on the same topic, this sticks (mostly) to punctuation basics (periods and commas, question marks and exclamation marks), though it also has some playful points to make about the shifting use of punctuation over time (e.g., the pilcrow). I'm thinking that will go largely over kids' heads, but it's a fun addition for the adult reader.

The art is fun and colorful, and I *love* the idea of a lighthouse library. The formatting of the text brings things down a bit—feels a bit as though text boxes were inserted over the art in Canva, without much care to how the alignment looks or to text size (italicized text is about half the size of roman text here). Still a fun story and nice art, of course, just makes it feel a bit less professional.

Here's to more playful punctuation picture books!

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

Loved it!! As a teacher I can't say enought about how cute this book is! It should be on the required reading list for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders!. The illustrations is wonderful. The storyline and setting are both good. With lots of adventures happening you do not even notice the correct method of when and how to use punctuation is being taught to you. Especially love how the punctuatios have to become the heroes to get the word chaos in order and bring peace to the island.

This was super cute! As a punctuation lover, I loved it. This would be great for introducing punctuation in an elementary classroom! I think kids would love to read this after learning about and practicing punctuation.

Punctuation to the Rescue is one of the most quirky yet educational books I've read this year. Believe it or not, I am so thrilled to read a book about grammar, but specifically underappreciated punctuation. In the society we currently live in, punctuation seems to disappear with the advent of texting, emojis, and slang. So many writers in everyday communication act as if punctuation isn't important, but this picture book sure tells us that is not the case. As an English and Composition professor, I am happy to see an author discuss the importance and value of punctuation.

The author Cheryl Olsten really takes us on an adventure where we meet Comma, Period, Exclamation, and Question as book characters. What makes them come to life even more are the beautiful and colorful illustrations by Sara Not. I really enjoyed the sailing adventure they take to the Island of Chaos.

My only complaint is that the book was a bit longer than I expected so depending on the age range of the students/kids reading it is possible they may lose interest. However, them getting to the end gives them the best message and lesson of why we need and use punctuation.

I would definitely recommend this to 3rd-6th graders because they can understand punctuation in a better, fun way instead of doing exercises or busy work. It's always great when grammar is learned and used for premium effect.

4.5 stars

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5
📖 Genre: Children’s Educational Fiction
📅 Publication Date: October 30, 2024

📚 Summary:

In Punctuation to the Rescue, Cheryl Olsten brings punctuation marks to life in a delightful adventure that educates young readers about the importance of proper punctuation. The story begins in a lighthouse library where Exclamation Point, weary of being overused, convinces fellow punctuation marks — Comma, Period, and Question Mark — to embark on a much-needed vacation. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when they land on the Island of Chaos, a place where words run amok without proper punctuation. Realizing the disorder their absence has caused, the punctuation pals set out to restore order, teaching the island’s inhabitants the significance of their roles in structuring language.

🖋️ My Thoughts:

Cheryl Olsten masterfully combines education with entertainment in this charming tale.

✔ Engaging Characters: Each punctuation mark is personified with distinct traits — Exclamation Point’s exuberance, Comma’s thoughtful pauses, Period’s decisiveness, and Question Mark’s curiosity — making them relatable and memorable for young readers.

✔ Educational Value: The narrative cleverly introduces fundamental punctuation concepts, demonstrating how each mark contributes to clear communication. Children learn the roles of different punctuation marks through the characters’ adventures, reinforcing the importance of proper punctuation in a fun and accessible way.

✔ Vibrant Illustrations: Sara Not’s illustrations are lively and expressive, enhancing the story’s appeal. The visuals complement the text beautifully, capturing the personalities of the punctuation marks and the chaos of an unpunctuated world.

🔸 Minor Drawbacks:

▫ Complex Vocabulary: Some terms may be advanced for the youngest readers, but they provide opportunities for vocabulary expansion with adult guidance.

✨ Final Verdict:

Punctuation to the Rescue is a delightful blend of storytelling and education, making it an excellent resource for teaching children about punctuation. Cheryl Olsten’s creative approach, combined with Sara Not’s engaging illustrations, results in a book that is both informative and entertaining. It’s a valuable addition to any child’s library, especially for those beginning to explore the rules of writing.

📌 Recommended For:

✔ Children aged 3–6 who are starting to learn about punctuation.

✔ Parents and educators seeking an engaging tool to teach writing mechanics.

✔ Anyone who enjoys imaginative stories that personify everyday elements.

Embark on this whimsical journey with Period, Comma, Exclamation Point, and Question Mark, and discover how punctuation truly brings order to our words.

I would use this story in ny classroom when talking about punctuation marks. It is a fun adventure story! It teaches students how to correctly use the marks and not to overuse them.

When a book falls off a shelf it stirs the punctuation off the page (well, some of it – there were clearly no brackets or m-dashes present), and they go on strike, taking themselves off for a holiday together to get over their feeling of being under-appreciated. The quirk of them all is they use themselves in their speech, so Exclamation is always Shouting! Things!! and Question is forever using its own format, too. There's a major blip when you think Period is in peril, and someone still gets to use him, but they escape that problem and move on – to an island full of rampaging words. Have they found a place they'll be appreciated and used properly and heavily at last?

The feeling for me was that this could have been better. It's not without cleverness – the @ symbol is here as a monkey's tail, which is the name used for it in The Netherlands. But as I say the thing goofs in using Period when Period is thought gone for a Burton. It's also definitely US only – the British English doesn't call them exclamation points or periods. And the point of the story seems to be to use them well and well enough for them to be proud – but surely things might have been more pointed and more inventive when we saw the effect of not having them around? Here the book itself is an example of them being used in strong amounts and cleverly, but perhaps we should actually see them disappear, forcing us to appreciate them more due to their temporary absence?

Still, what we have is perfectly reasonable, even if without the clearest purpose. It's colourful and brisk enough to appeal. But it felt like a set of type that has been blunted with age – it didn't have the sharpest point to it.