MILDRED AND SAM AND THEIR BABIES

Eight baby mice are born to Mildred and Sam in the second entry in this I Can Read series. Mildred is a nervous mother constantly worrying about her babies, but Sam is a calm dad who always reassures Mildred that “our babies will be just fine.” Each spread shows the parents taking the babies on an outing, followed by a related spread with the babies having a wildly creative dream inspired by that day’s outing. As the babies get older, their parents get them ready for school, and on their first day, they find the classroom full of things that recall their dreams. The caring parents, reassuring refrain, and satisfying ending all help this mid-level easy reader to stand out, and the story will also work well as a read-aloud for younger children. (Easy reader. 5-8)