Three fish and a curious cat make for a rambunctious tale in this Level 2 Holiday House Reader from Weston (Bad Baby Brother, 1997, etc.). When Dot brings her new fish home, she introduces the three of them to her cat Fuzzy. After several minutes of watching the fish circle the bowl, Dot determines that they must be bored and surrounds their bowl with exciting treasures such as books and a play dinosaur. However, Fuzzy has other plans for the fish and Dot has to rescue them several times from the feline’s searching paws. After a close encounter in the night, Dot’s mother builds a high shelf for the fish bowl, far out of reach of Fluffy, and Dot rediscovers the merits of her furry friend. Weston’s humorous take on the feline mind permeates the tale, while soft watercolors with jagged, loose lines highlight all the action. In four manageable chapters, this warm story offers an achievable challenge to those moving beyond beginning reader status. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: March 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1419-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Baker (Big Fat Hen, 1994, etc.) engages in more number play, posing ducklings in every combination of groups, e.g., “Splashing as they leap and dive/7 ducklings, 2 plus 5.” Using a great array of streaked and dappled papers, Baker creates a series of leafy collage scenes for the noisy, exuberant ducklings to fill, tucking in an occasional ladybug or other small creature for sharp-eyed pre-readers to spot. Children will regretfully wave goodbye as the ducks fly off in neat formation at the end of this brief, painless introduction to several basic math concepts. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-292858-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
Big Brown Bear, with a natty bowler hat, is all set to paint the house in this cheerful Level 1 reader. Every page presents a full-color scene and a few words of easily predicted, often rhyming text: “Bear is big. Bear is brown. Bear goes up. He comes down.” Big Bear climbs a ladder with a pail of blue paint, while nearby, Little Bear plays with a ball and bat—“Oh no! Little Bear! Do not do that!” These are simple words, but sometimes challenging ones, e.g., there are two uses of up, as in climbing the ladder and washing up. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide nearly ideal context, while also amplifying the story. The format is attractive and practical, featuring large type on a white background that is placed for easy reading. Beginning readers will be amused by the gentle humor in the book, and feel accomplished to have tackled it themselves. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201999-5
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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