May 1, 2013
K-Gr 2-When a new duck joins Katy Duck's ballet class, she is wearing tap shoes instead of ballet slippers, and Katy loves the sound they make. By the end of the class, the two new friends have learned that sharing gives them both new experiences. This Level One reader has a simple story with large, expressive illustrations. A few words will require assistance, like "ballet," "floated," and "Alice," but for the most part the vocabulary is repetitive and easy to sound out, providing good practice for building fluency. In Inch, an inchworm slithers into a small hole to hide from a bird. She is soon joined by a beetle and a dragonfly. The small space soon becomes crowded and all are relieved when Inch announces that the bird has flown away and they can all climb out again. This story provides a little bit of excitement as the friends hide from danger and share shelter from a predator. Easy sight vocabulary with good rhyming words will support young readers, and the illustrations are colorful and expressive. Cupcake, a Level 2 reader, features longer sentences, chapters, and more challenging vocabulary. Mom agrees to buy cupcakes at the grocery store, with the promise that they will be saved for dessert. After dinner, one is missing, and Jade confesses to the dog that she ate it. Her parents are sad when she eventually comes clean but praise her for telling the truth. The message is gentle but well made. Colorful and straightforward artwork provides additional drama to the mystery. Three good beginning readers.-Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2013
These two volumes feature children from the same family facing different troublesome issues. In Bully, Justin and his soccer team must deal with a bully in their midst. In Mystery, Jade lies about eating an off-limits cupcake and then decides to confess. Both books have serviceable illustrations and offer worthwhile messages. However, an instructive, sometimes artificial tone makes the writing less effective.
(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)