Title: Ah Ha!
Author: Jeff Mack
Illustrator: Jeff Mack
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Year: 2013
Word Count: 36
Story Element WORD PLAY You’ve got to give credit to anyone who can write a complete picture book with 3 separate phrases, 36 words total, and only 2 letters! That’s just what Jeff Mack did! The words in this book are…
AH HA! AAHH! HA HA!
Each word takes on new meaning as the story unfolds. A frog escapes capture from a boy with a jar, a turtle, an alligator, and a flamingo. The illustrations play a huge role in telling this story, but it’s the words, the tone, and the meaning behind each one that begs this story to be read and reread and read again.
I bet you can figure out for yourself which of the three words are used in each scenario, and with which tone of voice you must read each one. Try this one for yourself.
A frog is floating in the water.
The frog finds a stone to sit on.
A child captures the frog in a jar.
The frog escapes.
Preschoolers will love hearing this story and playing out the parts themselves. I can see them hopping from couch to floor to carpet to chair as the repeat the same three words over and over.
AH HA! AAHH! HA HA!
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Juliana Lee 
Great example of word play…and other elements. But shows how wordplay can be as simple as possible but still so effective. Great example, Juliana, thanks.
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You know, I think the secret to effective word play might actually be simplicity! Thanks for the insight!
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Who would have thought that two letters could have so much meaning? How cool! Thanks for sharing it.
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Yeah, I thought it was fun!
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Sounds like a really interesting transitional book from wordless to true picture book. Impressive.
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Not sure what you mean by ‘true’ picture book. But with word counts going down, down, down, this one certainly is at the bottom of the word count ladder. 🙂
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This is the type of PB that only an Author / Illustrator can pull off.
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Probably true. I’ve seen a few blogs talking about authors writing wordless or near wordless picture books with copious illustrator notes. But it’s very unusual. I think you may need to already have a relationship with an agent or editor who trusts your vision.
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Oh wow, I’d never heard of anyone doing that. Really interesting that they can pull it off!
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Stranger things have happened! 🙂
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