Quirky, Jerky, Extra Perky: More About Adjectives (Words Are Categorical)

by Brian P. Cleary illustrated by Brian Gable

One book is never enough to explore the wide range of amazing adjectives! The crazy cats deliver loads of additional examples to illustrate the potent power of adjectives to describe the wonderful world around us—and our incredible imaginations. Brian P. Cleary’s playful verse and Brian Gable’s comical cats turn traditional grammar lessons on end. Each adjective is printed in color for easy identification. Read this book aloud and share the delight of the sense—and nonsense—of words.

Ages 7-9

Reinforced binding

To Fiona —B.P.C.

Adjective: A word that describes a or thing, idea, living being

by Brian P. Cleary illustrations by Brian Gable J M ILLBROOK P RESS / M INNEAPOLIS

Adjectives yellow, sleepy , slu mping, somewhat mellow.

are words like

4

They give us lots of great description, like t ll, left-h anded, young Egyptian.

a

5

They paint a picture using words, r i f e n e dly d k li og or baby bird s,

6

spotted, nearly rotted fruit, pepper ed eggs, and leopard suit.

See how th ese words tell us mor e? A wild goat, a mild boar .

8

Particulars ar e wh at you give each time you use an

adj ective. 9

London’ s often cool and clammy. b e s d t des i m u H crib

10

es M

iami.

n d y a a h d j ective a s ’ d l o C t s h e place y i d n a l n e o e u r live. G if

11

Like wrinkled hands and crinkled pliers,

adjectives are modifier s, 12

telling mor e about the noun,

like crazy cat or lazy clown. 13

Kin d

, u y i fo q r k

extra perky ,

quite poli te,

14

or sl ightly je ky. r

Woolen socks

,a

kn it ted

sh awl—

adj ectives describe them all! 15

Like sly, sarcastic,

i t c s , a t an

f so

16

enthusiastic, and e l a s ti c, adjectives

a

ng

u r lan o p e e gu k d ag n e inte r e s t i

!

make phrases sing

17

A wilted rose, a ch artr euse vase, a ch eery, kind, and florid face.

M

g n , i h t o o s s ’ t a h t c e t a s m s i i i n t s g, a h u t os up

bowl th at’s a n i d e v r e s l e g a m s ’ t i i n t a g. h t t

h g ri b so

19

Adj ectives tell us wh en someone is serious, fearless or frightened or even delirious. 20

L i ke, “H ear th

em

y s terious b

t

a

he s

as it scr eec w e xc o h iti eS e

.”

ng

np

ar t

s i h

?

th i s

fu

of speec

They modify nouns in ways th at explain if a movie is brilliant, bizar r e, or inane.

22

Because we have

adj ectives, we get to pick words like crum bled and r ed when describing a brick.

23

We can say th at it’s simple

or

scary or splendid ,

describing th e skating that Mary or Glen did. 25

Th ey h elp us picture lots of things wh en we can’t really see ’em.

26

Yes, adj ectives help make our mind a kind of art museum! 27

a f o d o s u g u hnut d l o t e v ’ y e o r u s n a w h d t a T h t

m u l p p d n a

an d

Th e w as

28

sprinkled.

inking

th ey

s u e v o b a s t ar s

. d ’ve sparkled e l k n i w t and th ey’ve

The sour apple candies from the cozy cor ner stor e.

Adj ectives help tell us about all these things and mor e!

29

So, what is an adj ective? Do you know?

30

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR

BRIAN P. CLEARY is the author of the best-selling Words Are CATegorical™ series and the Math Is CATegorical™ series, as well as Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book, Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry, and Rhyme & PUNishment: Adventures in Wordplay. Mr. Cleary lives in Cleveland, Ohio. BRIAN GABLE is the illustrator of several Words Are CATegorical™ books, as well as the Math Is CATegorical™ series. Mr. Gable also works as a political cartoonist for the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto, Canada, where he lives with his wife and children. Text copyright © 2007 by Brian P. Cleary Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise— without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. Millbrook Press, Inc. A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. Website address: www.lernerbooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cleary, Brian P., 1959Quirky, jerky, extra perky : more about adjectives / by Brian P. Cleary ; illustrations by Brian Gable. p. cm. — (Words are categorical) ISBN-13: 978-0-8225-6709-7 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8225-6709-1 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) 1. English language—Adjective—Juvenile literature. I. Gable, Brian, 1949II. Title. III. Series: Cleary, Brian P., 1959- Words are categorical. PE1241.C58 2007 428.2—dc22 2006010756 Manufactured in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 - JR – 12 11 10 09 08 07

eISBN-13: 978-1-58013-695-2

Brian P. Cleary is the author of the best-selling Words Are CATegorical™ series and the Math Is CATegorical™ series, as well as Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book, Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry, and Rhyme & PUNishment: Adventures in Wordplay. Mr. Cleary lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Brian Gable is the illustrator of several Words Are CATegoricalTM books, as well as the Math Is CATegorical™ series. Mr. Gable also works as a political cartoonist for the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto, Canada, where he lives with his children.

Jacket illustrations by Brian Gable

j Millbrook Press A DIVISION OF

LERNER PUBLISHING GROUP

241 First Avenue North • Minneapolis, MN 55401 www.lernerbooks.com

Printed and bound in U.S.A.

W ords

Are CATegorical books TM

Dearly, Nearly, Insincerely: What Is an Adverb? Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?: What Are Homonyms and Homophones? I and You and Don't Forget Who: What Is a Pronoun? A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime: More about Nouns A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? Pitch and Throw, Grasp and Know: What Is a Synonym? Quirky, Jerky, Extra Perky: More about Adjectives Slide and Slurp, Scratch and Burp: More about Verbs Stop and Go, Yes and No: What Is an Antonym? To Root, to Toot, to Parachute: What Is a Verb? Under, Over, By the Clover: What Is a Preposition?

Math

Is CATegorical books TM

The Action of Subtraction How Long or How Wide?: A Measuring Guide The Mission of Addition

OTHER BOOKS BY BRIAN P. CLEARY Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book Rainbow Soup: Adventures in Poetry Rhyme & PUNishment: Adventures in Wordplay