If a love of words has your student constantly rhyming and combining sounds, syllables, and other parts of words, Brian P. Cleary has a series of books that will thrill your student. Pre- and Re-, Mis- and Dis-: What Is a Prefix? is just one of the books from the series Words Are CATegorical, featuring hilarious images of cats to help illustrate the clever descriptions inside the covers.

Pre- and Re-, Mis- and Dis- uses rhyming words to help the student understand what a prefix is and how it is used. Using witty phrasing, in under 30 pages, Mr. Cleary has clearly defined and shown examples of many prefixes. Starting by defining that a prefix comes at the beginning of a word, the book goes on to explain that prefixes can change the meaning of a word, alter it to become an antonym, and discuss root words. Some of the prefixes are also defined, such as “anti-” meaning against, “bi-” meaning two, and “trans-” meaning across. Finishing off the book is a handy chart of over 20 prefixes, their meaning and an example of their use.

Each page includes colorful, humorous images of cats illustrating the text of the page. When the book is discussing the prefix “pre-”, you get a funny illustration of a cat in prehistoric times. When it talks about “anti-” and antifreeze, the cats are drawn to illustrate that and it makes the reader smile. The illustrations definitely add to the enjoyment and understanding of the text.

This fun and witty book will make grammar lessons interesting. In our home, we have read it several times and the students of all ages have smiled over the engaging rhymes and humorous illustrations. If you are looking for something to help grab a student's attention for grammar, take a look at Pre- and Re-, Mis- and Dis-: What Is a Prefix?

—Product review by Lori Hooten, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, May, 2017