What is part this, part that? by Harriet Ziefert illustrated by Tom Slaughter

A hug is part squeeze and also part hold.

Read the title slowly - What is part this, part that?  Perhaps these examples will help:

Just like a bee is part buzz and part sting,
a rap song is part talk and part sing.

An empty glass is part empty or is it part full?
Is this swing part push or is it part pull?

Here are some other lines from What is part this, part that? which resonate with me:

When you talk to a friend it's part listen and part say.
What time of day is part wash and part play?

A rocking chair goes part back and part forth.
When you stand on the equator you're part south and part north.

At the back of the book there are twenty part this and part that ideas presented as puzzles. Can you solve these:

What's the word that means part yes and part no?
What beaked animal is part swoop and part "whooo"?

Harriet Ziefert is the author of over 300 books. Here are some I would like to read:

What is part this, part that? works so well because the graphic illustrations are brightly coloured, and often surprising.  Here are some other examples books illustrated by Tom Slaughter.

You can read a tribute to Tom Slaughter by clicking this quote about his work. Tom illustrated twenty books for children.  He sadly died in 2014.

Slaughter’s work, with its seemingly effortless whimsy rendered with a strong sense of line, color, and rhythm, has also been comparedto Matisse. His Pop-inflected drawings, prints, paintings, and illustrations convey his love of life as he relentlessly explored the complexities of the urban scene or the simple pleasures of boating.

If you are reading my post and not too much time has passed an Australian online bookshop has this book for a greatly reduced price ($35.99 down to $7.99).  This is probably because this book was published in 2013 and is now out of print. If I had a young friend aged 4-6 I would rush out and buy this book quickly. I should mention this book does contain flaps which are always SO popular with young children.

I do enjoy concept books, especially when they can be equally enjoyed by young readers and adults alike.  Here are two other examples:

Before After

My First book of Patterns