Yo! Yes?

Yo!

by Chris Raschka

This Caldecott Honor classic is a simple yet important story about friendship. Two kids meet on a street. "Yo!" says one. "Yes?" says the other. And so begins a conversation that turns strangers into friends. With vibrant illustrations, Chris Raschka's rhythmic read-aloud is a celebration of differences -- and how it just takes a few words to overcome them. More relevant than ever in our divided world, this 1993 Caldecott Award-winning classic is presented in an accessible paperback format.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Cultural, Storytime

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1993

About the author

Chris Raschka is the illustrator of The Hello, Goodbye Window, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal. He is also the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Yo! Yes?; Charlie Parker Played Be Bop; Mysterious Thelonious; John Coltrane’s Giant Steps; Can’t Sleep; and The Magic Flute. He lives with his wife and son in New York City.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beginning little story about an introvert and an extravert. Each page has one or two words for each character going back and forth. The extravert is asking to be friends by getting his attention with ‘Yo’ and the introvert doesn’t get what’s going on. He is unsure of what’s happening. Eventually, they get there and they do become friends.

It’s a simple and sweet book. It has great energy and the characters do come across the page. The colors are bold and it is fun.

The nephew thought this was a fun book. He gave this 5 stars. He could also read this book and this thrilled him to be the reader. The niece didn’t care for the story, but she was glad her brother could read the story. It was exciting. She gave this 2 stars. It’s still too young for her.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truth be told, illustrations of Chris Raschka's award winning Yo! Yes? do not really appeal all that much to me on a personal and aesthetic level (for while bright and lively, the facial expressions in particular do feel a bit overly vague and flatly washed-out), but indeed I do have to absolutely and with pleasure admit that they do work exceedingly well with the sparse but effective text (mirroring its simplicity, but also somewhat expanding on the bare-bones printed words by also showing the changing emotions of the two lonely boys, from shyness, from surprise, to delight and joyful anticipation). And while Chris Raschka's presented narrative might, indeed, be almost ridiculously short (only thirty-four words in total and yes, I counted), and is also not really all that philosophically deep and probing, the important message of friendship and that making friends is both essential and often not even all that difficult if but the will and the desire for this are present, this shines with an eternal flame, brightly and sweetly. And while the last page of Yo! Yes? is by necessity and nature a bit open-ended with regard to the future progression of the two boys' emerging companionship, it does leave the distinct and positive, hopeful impression that there will now be fun and joyful playtimes for each, for both. Recommended!

Now I do (and personally) find it somewhat off-putting to say the least that the book description for Yo! Yes? makes such a point claiming that Chris Raschka is supposedly celebrating differences and diversity. For sorry, but EXCEPT for the entirely cosmetic difference that one of the boys is African American and the other is Caucasian, there are really NO major differences between the two, but rather very many similarities (yes, the one child is perhaps a bit less shy and thus likely a bit more extroverted, but both are obviously lonely and in need of friendship and fun). And in my opinion, Yo? Yes! (aside from celebrating friendship) is therefore and first and foremost also a glowing paean to the fact that similarities usually outweigh differences and that the latter are often on the surface and thus only skin-deep anyhow (and therefore, in my humble opinion, the book description, somewhat and indeed quite in error seems to focus on a concept that I do not really believe is in any way the main moral, the main theme presented by, featured in Yo! Yes?, as I personally feel that both Chris Raschka's text and his illustrations mostly and primarily focus on equivalences, demonstrate how most children are very much akin and alike, no matter what their ethnic backgrounds and cultures happen to be).

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I can see the value of this book for beginning readers and English language learners, it did not particularly appeal to me. The text is simple, two boys saying hello and beginning a friendship using just a few words. The illustrations are bright and help convey the meaning. However, I did not find either the text or illustrations appealing.

[Woody Calhoon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yo! Yes? Is not a bad book on its own, but for me, personally, I just really didn't get it. I understand that it is supposed to be a story about two kids from different backgrounds becoming friends, but the book made it really just feel like two people saying the word "hello" over and over again in a variety of different ways. The art helps tell the story a little bit, but I feel like its not done well enough to support the whole story. The story is supposed to show kids that being friends with people from different backgrounds is a good thing, but I feel this picture-book lacks enough substance to get that point across.

I really wouldn't recommend this book unless you want a really, really, really simple book for your kids to get started with.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple one or two-word sentences and lots of punctuation tell a tale of loneliness and friendship. Very basic, short and good for beginning readers. Our girls liked this story and could read it by themselves.

This book was selected as one of the books for the November 2016- Caldecott Honor discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

[SaraLaLa · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like things to be overly concise, this is the book for you. With typically one (at most two) word(s) on a page, the author Chris Raschka tells about one boy who initially has no friends and then gets befriended by a second boy. Umm... the end.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything this man does is delightful, but this is my favorite.

[Gabriela Alvarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yo!Yes? By Chris Raschaka is a Caldecott Honor Book and is a recommendation from the Association for Library Service to Children.
Recommend for ages 3-5

This story is about two boys who end up being friends and communicate using few words. A shy boy is suddenly surprised, when an outgoing boy who is different from him, stops him and says "Yo!" and is unsure if he's talking to him. Soon, he shares with this stranger that he has no friends, but that stranger ends up offering his friendship to him.

Although it hardly has any text, you can see how this friendship grows through the beautiful,colorful, and intriguing illustrations. It teaches that you can find a friend even with people who may look different from you, and with just a few words you can begin to connect with someone else.

I think this is a good book to read with young children because even without many words, you can tell what the story is about through the illustrations. Children can even add on more words to their story if they want to because it is easy to understand what is going on. This would also be good to use with children who are new and come from other countries, because they often know what it's like to feel lonely and shy without a friend, and it might also encourage other children to offer kind words and offer a friendship to someone new.

Chris Raschka uses watercolor and charcoal pencil in making his beautiful and vibrant illustrations, and although I prefer books with a little bit more text, I think this is a good book to read to preschoolers and Kindergarteners, especially when meeting new friends.

[Fjóla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minimalistic, but very cute! Two little boys strike a conversation through a handful of words. They're clearly not on the same page, when the story takes off, but their desire for a friend brings them together. So much is said in such few words. It's impressive. On the first reading my 3 1/2 year old was a little confused about what was going on (it's really an unconventional book, too), but the second time it really clicked for him. He even read it himself, with the correct intonations. I hadn't realized that, but this is a great lesson in punctuation and inflection. My son seemed to pick up himself what was implied with the exclamation and question marks, even the change in the size of the letters. The illustrations are pretty simple and sober, but very expressive. A lot can be read from the body language of the two boys. A very creative and touching book.

Addendum: We've borrowed this one again and again. There something just so immensely satisfying about reading this book, so spare on words but rich in emotion. My son LOVES it!

[Mari Miyagi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be my favorite book this week. This book shows a black boy and a white boy having a conversation in just a few words like "Yes" "You?" "No friends." etc and it shows that their differences are overcome with those simple words. If there are newcomers who are new to the country in your classroom and they speak little English like simple words like this white boy, still those words have so many meanings behind them that are enough to convey their messages. This book might help other students in the classroom understand newcomer English Learners and overcome differences and celebrate similarities to develop friendship.

[AleJandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es tan noventero. No se si de verdad fue escrito en los 90'S, pero tiene esa esencia.

Una historia, manejada de una forma muy original. Sobre lo facil que puede ser hacer amigos.

Cada pagina contiene oraciones cortas, a veces de una sola palabra. Con letras de gran tamaño. Que ayudan muchísimo cuando los niños apenas están aprendiendo a leer.



Muy recomendable, libro multi-premiado, y lastimosamente lo encontré en las rebajas en una feria del libro.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two boys navigate those first moments of a possible friendship: the "want to be my friend?" that's so hard to express. Raschka's illustrations capture the tension of the moment: one boy so outgoing and ready to take a risk, the other's body language showing his fear and self-doubt. This would make a good story for the beginning of the year in our school where one-third of our students are new each year.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very simple book for an early reader, with no page having more than two words (all dialog) on it.

The story is really told in the illustrations. You can see so much from how the boys stand, how small or big their words are. Very sweet story... and at a level a five year old can easily read.

[Olivia Pitchford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story uses barely any text to describe a beautiful message. "Yo! Yes?" is very simple book about a two boys conversation between each other. One boy simply wanted to offer friendship to the other boy. This book is a 1994 Caldecot Honor Book, and I'm pretty sure that is because the message of the book is reaching out to people who don't necessarily look like you and offering to be friends anyway. Throughout the entirety of the book the two unnamed characters remained on opposite sides of the of the book, at the end of the book (the last page to be exact) the two characters are shown celebrating their new friendship together on the same page. The illustrations are simple, and the text is large and bold. This book would be ideal for children in kindergarden. The use of different punctuation marks to express the remarks of the characters is another pinpoint for why this book is for younger children. They can learn the difference in reading a word with explanation marks and question marks.

[Jen Wehage-Barrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two boys of different races have a short question and answer conversation throughout the book. The words alone may confuse the reader, but when read with emphasis on punctuation and paired with the illustrations a deeper understanding occurs. Although their interaction is only one or two words at a time, the pictures show how their friendship develops. Companionship and loneliness are very relatable topics for people of all ages. The pictures are bright, colorful, and inviting leading to Yo! Yes? becoming a Caldecott Award winner in 1994. The target audience would be young pre-readers to early age independent readers: ages 2 - 6.

[SamZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

1994 Caldecott Honor - Favorite Illustration: When the outgoing boy says "Yes, me!" and the timid boy replies "You!" I love the way the friendly boy is standing there with his arms on his head. So typical of small kids.
This is a fun, very simple book that tells a great story about the value of making new friends. I love kids and the way they will simply run up to another kid and ask if they want to play and be friends. Often, they don't even ask names, they're just content to play together. It usually makes me wonder how much better we'd be as adults if we were more willing to get along without having to know every detail about each other.

[Shelby Zimmerman]

Yo! Yes? By Chris Raschka is a fun book about an African-American boy and a white boy meeting and their exchange by a couple words. The illustrations are very bright and colorful and show the development of their friendship. The stance of the boys is very repetitive but it shows a development of characters. They start on different ends of the page and end up next to each other by the end of the book.

[Lana Clifton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two boys find friendship, despite their
differences. This book emphasizes diversity, while punctuating inclusion. Pay special attention to reading with expression during read aloud. Students need to hear the difference between words being spoken as questions or exclamations.

[Kelsey Ruggirello · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book about how a boy feels like he has no friends but then another boy tells him he is his friend. Would be good for a kindergarten or 1st grade class.

[Sierra Watts]

This is an easy read, It shows how two strangers can become friends using a short conversation.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun! Should work for friendship storytime.

[Rebecca Zadick · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Yo! Yes?" received the Caldecott Honor and was rated 3.5 stars from me for the simple, yet sweet message portrayed in the story, as well as the vibrant illustrations. The story line follows two boys who start as strangers, but end as friends. They meet on the street, beginning when one boy says "yo!" and the other boy replies back with "yes?" The rest is history from there. The most special aspect of the story is that it celebrates diversity because the characters have different skin tones and different personalities. This promotes a great message to young readers that just because someone may be different from you, it does not mean that you cannot be their friend. The illustrations are done in mixed media, including both watercolor and charcoal. The colors remain very mild with pops of color on each page, but the color are not overwhelming. The style of the illustrations is cartoon because although they are somewhat realistic, the lines and expressions are very exaggerated. The front cover is bright yellow with the two characters becoming friends at the bottom of the page. The title, which is also the first two lines of dialogue, is situated at the top of the cover in green and yellow. The back cover is red with the two characters situated in the middle. The cover is a wrap-around with flaps in the front and back of the dust jacket. The inside flap briefly describes the story that is to follow by showing the first few lines of dialogue that will be read on the first few pages of the book. The end pages are a solid blue color. The book is intended for children ages 3-6. I agree with this age range because the dialogue is very simple. In fact, there are only 34 words throughout the entire story. The illustrations are exciting, but any child over the age of 6 would most likely be bored and have a hard time paying attention to the story. I would definitely recommend reading this book to young children who are learning about friendship. This would be a great book to implement into a lesson plan at school!

[Cynnea Schreibman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about friendship with vibrant colors being used. In this book, an African American boy and a Caucasian boy meet and only exchange two words back and forth, which are yo, and yes. The two boys meet in harmony and yell Yow at the end, which is a mixture of both words. The attitudes of the characters toward language and culture play a role in their lives because they each have their own words on how they communicate to each other. Also, when they started to get to know each other more, they bonded and used a mixture of both languages. The text tells me that the way children communicate and interact is through their certain cultures and whom they are associating themselves with. Teachers can learn through this book by what they want their students to learn and what different students and cultures can bring to the classroom. Students can learn that in an ELL classroom, other students come from different cultures and that is why some may speak different, and have different social conventions. I could use this book in my classroom by teaching my students about different slang and have them write down words that other languages might not know. This demonstrates Yo! Yes? Because the African American kid uses Yo, and other cultures may not, also that could be looked at as slang. Another way I could use this in my classroom is teaching my students about the stereotypes and demonstrate an activity, which could have the students list what stereotypes they know of about other cultures.

Raschka, C. (1993). Yo! Yes? New York: Orchard Books.

[Kelly Ayala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is short and can easily be read in 2 minutes. I do not believe it shows any literal sign of a social issue. I had too read this twice to try and get the message out of it. Maybe it was the hesitation of the white boy trying to see if being friends with an African American child is right or not. towards the end they obviously become friends but I truly do not get what the message is about.

[Robert Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simplistic and patronizing attempt to teach a lesson about accepting differences. While the message is good, the book is just too easily done, there is no sophistication or provocative ideas. Fine for young readers, but the idea could have been done with more thought provoking narrative. But still a good message.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple dialogue driven encounter as long as you note that each line of dialogue is one and occasionally two words wrong. With only barely okay art. The message on this one is fine. But it doesn't make this book work for me.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raschka is a genius at telling a story with few words. I had forgotten about this one for my friendship programs. 8/14

Worked really well I with a preshool class today. 9/12/17

Used for my first preschool story time and one of the younger kids repeated it word for word.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows two kids becoming friends.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book for infants / children, about how simply saying Hi to someone can brighten that person’s day and create a new friendship.

[Kelly Peay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Raschka. Yo!Yes? (1993). This Caldecott Honor award book (1994) is the sweet story of friendship between 2 very different boys. Watercolor illustrations depict only the boys and the one – two-word dialogue between them as they become friends. One boy, dressed in white high-tops with red laces, basketball shorts, and a white tee with a large red circle, is as vibrant, cool, and confident as his attire. “YO”! He whoops out to the other boy. The other boy, wearing a white button-down shirt -button up tightly to his neck, a green cardigan my grandfather would wear, and khaki pants answers with a small “yes”? Back and forth they respond, each boy on their own separate page until the final, where they share not only a page, but the same word. A boisterous read, this book would be a fun read at the beginning of the school year; a grammar lesson on exclamation points and question marks; as well an inference lesson using the characters’ facial expressions, clothing and body language. Target audience: Preschool - Middle School