Reviews
For those who know nothing about this holiday, Pettiford gets straight to the point: “Diwali is the Hindu New Year. It begins in fall. It lasts five days.” That s a bit vague fall is an awful broad period but readers will still get plenty out of this short, upbeat, and… View →
Spooky Math
Though the monsters, ghosts, and witches pictured in these counting lessons are on the corny side, the simple rhyming text describing their numerical concerns are likely to amuse beginning readers. A vampire and a witch named Belinda appear as friendly humans in costume, while Elsie the… View →
Series Made Simple
In these bright introductions for emergent readers, close-up photos of delighted looking children using their senses in easy to understand ways (“Eli smells his stinky feet. Ew! He knows he needs a bath.”) accompany short, explanatory notes in large type. Though the amount of detail is… View →
Series Made Simple
These bright, slight, upbeat introductions to pet ownership are designed for early readers. Basic information is shared through a collection of vignettes. The text, never more than four brief sentences per spread, always gives a name to the pet in the photo and the child, who may not… View →
Series Made Simple
These bright, slight, upbeat introductions to pet ownership are designed for early readers. Basic information is shared through a collection of vignettes. The text, never more than four brief sentences per spread, always gives a name to the pet in the photo and the child, who may not… View →
Using an early reader format, these entries in the My First Pet series introduce young children to basic care of common pets. Extreme cuteness with large color photos of animals and their diverse kid owners in action (highlighted by vibrant frames and occasional labels) drives the… View →
Series Made Simple
With simple sentences; sharp, uncluttered photos; and just a handful of facts, these animal profiles are generally on target for the intended audience of new readers. Each book narrates one day in the life of the animal, introducing basic behaviors within the story. Iguanas, for… View →
Each book reviewed contains vivid, color photographs of each title animal, its habitat, and related animals. Every close-up photograph provides great detail, such as the multiple colors that make up a crab’s claws. Topics covered include parts of the body, mating and/or how babies are… View →
Series Made Simple
With simple sentences; sharp, uncluttered photos; and just a handful of facts, these animal profiles are generally on target for the intended audience of new readers. Each book narrates one day in the life of the animal, introducing basic behaviors within the story. Iguanas, for… View →
Seeing Patterns All Around
There’s beauty, humor, and elements of surprise in the fine photographs featured here. Simultaneously simple and complex, these small, thoughtfully constructed books supply an introduction to the concept of patterns to six different environments. Each spread pairs a brief… View →
In Winter, Where Do They Go?
Focusing on animal behaviors in winter, each title examines hibernation or migration from fall to spring. Three to four large-type sentences per spread, supplemented by fact boxes, should be easy for young readers to navigate. The basic vocabulary limits the excitement level of the text, View →
Series Made Simple
Excellent photographs support basic information written at a beginning reader level. Titles focus on a few key areas, such as wasps’ nests and stingers, rather than trying to cover too much for new readers to absorb. Most books describe the activities of a single insect, though different View →