Mrs. Mustard's Name Games

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-These rebus puzzles associated with common names and famous people are similar to those used on the TV game show Concentration, featuring drawings and individual letters as clues. Most of the puzzles are quite easy to solve, but some are indecipherable. Thankfully, an answer key is provided. The intended audience probably won't have heard of many of the individuals, such as Hart Crane, Louise Nevelson, and Liliuokalani. A ``Who's Who'' section provides birthdates and one-line biographies for the famous figures, but is useless in helping to solve the actual puzzles. Wattenberg's black-line drawings are unattractive, and the games are not particularly fun. As an example of how bad they can be, the rebus for Martin Lurther King, Jr. consists in the letter M, followed by the letter L, followed by a drawing of a man wearing a crown. Skip this one.-George Delalis, Oakland Public Library, CA