If taken to heart, a beginning reader with lasting impact.
In their fourth sibling adventure, Digger and Daisy are as fresh and curious as when readers first encountered them (Digger and Daisy Go to the Zoo, 2013); at this pace, there’ll be no issues about ever having to grow up.
And, frankly, who wants them to? These two young canines—the older Daisy, in glasses and a skirt that looks like a pink banana; the younger Digger, all roving eyes and nose—are the kind who can squabble and keep it to a sentence in length, not a daylong misery. This outing is to the city, and Daisy cautions Digger (she frequently cautions Digger just before Digger sets in motion whatever she has cautioned him about) to “Stay by me.…You do not want to get lost.” This refrain is a touchstone for beginning readers and, of course, one that Digger will (almost) lose track of. Daisy wants to visit all the clothing stores—Digger offers resistance but complies—but when Digger wants to visit just one store, Daisy decides not. It is Digger’s charm to find a simple but canny way to get his satisfaction and Daisy’s to know when she has been had. Sullivan’s artwork is as affable, diverting and gumball-bright in the city as in the country.
If taken to heart, a beginning reader with lasting impact. (Early reader. 4-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-58536-847-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Brand-new readers need very easy stories with familiar situations that they can read over and over. The Bob Books still...
The Bob Books, long a staple in little square boxed sets for preschoolers, are now available in an early-reader format.
Big sister Anna and her brother Jack want a dog. Mom and Dad explain all the work a new dog will require. A trip to the Pet Shelter allows the family to pick out their new brown dog, Buddy. The two kids find their new canine friend has more energy than their house can contain. The easy solution—a trip to the park—tires out both Buddy and his new owners. Written by the daughter of the original Bob Book designers, this is sturdy and utilitarian. With both sight words and words that require basic decoding skills, these books are aimed directly at the young child who wants to pick up and read a book from start to finish. On the last pages are flash cards, ready to cut out, showing a word on one side and a picture and sentence from the book using that word on the other. Jack and Anna are drawn with a little more detail than their predecessors, including colored clothing and background. The friendly typeface is easy to read and clear. Kindergarten teachers and parents of children on the cusp of reading will find this series helpful.
Brand-new readers need very easy stories with familiar situations that they can read over and over. The Bob Books still deliver, even if they don't have much pizzazz. (Early reader. 4-6)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-38268-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2012
Nature red in tooth and claw, though splashes of ketchup are the closest thing to visible gore in these sly vignettes.
Frog meets fly, with predictable results—at least the first five times.
Drawn in one or two big, very simple cartoons per page, each episode features a popeyed fly engaging a jovial frog in a brief exchange. “Nice to meet you.” “Nice to eet you?” “No. Nice to meet you.” This is followed by a climactic, terminal (for the fly) “SLURP!” and punch line: “No. Nice to eat you!” In later encounters, the frog actually toys with its intended victim: “Why did you kiss me?” “I kissed you because I love flies!” (with ketchup, as it turns out). The green guy gets it in the end when a nighttime slurp snags not the agile insect, but a silhouetted “frog-slurping bear.” Newly fledged readers should be amused by the early-Muppet–style humor and will agree that the frog receives just deserts in the end. The comic-book pacing keeps each separate "chapter" fresh and funny, and the sunny palette keeps the tone light, even as the fly gets snaggled, over and over.
Nature red in tooth and claw, though splashes of ketchup are the closest thing to visible gore in these sly vignettes. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 15, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-399-25617-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
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