A blog of my running thoughts while reading. *Warning: Spoilers*
This is a pretty cute Fancy Nancy book. Nancy is funny and kind of oblivious, but always enthusiastic and well-meaning, so you have to smile at most of her mistakes. The art is ok, but not as good as Ms. Glasser’s (except for the cover, which is hers). Mr. Enik’s art just isn’t as sharp. Still, the book is fun and I loved the glossary of fancy words in the back.
I liked how this book asked the reader to spy things in words as well as in pictures. It’s a great beginning reader exercise and definitely still part of the game (if probably the less fun part). I was actually pretty impressed with this one.
This is a fairly cute beginning reader, but it definitely subscribes to the ‘Dick and Jane’ school of storytelling. At least Little Monster is a hell of a lot more interesting than a couple of white middle-class kids, even if he isn’t doing anything particularly radical. Monsters are just naturally more interesting. The illustrations are really cute. They were definitely the best part of the book. I loved how the monsters looked. This is a cute book and much better than I expected.
This is a really cute book. I love how Mudge is both concerned about Henry and enjoying the salt of his tears (so typical of a dog!). I also thought the dog-walking was perfect! The imaginary kings and dragons story was awesome and the illustrations (especially the dog-dragons) were perfect! This is an awesome book!
This is a really good story. I like the dynamic of the single-parent household, it’s very realistic. The story is also surprisingly complex and interesting. I love the fight at the beginning and the longing for a pet running through the whole book. Both mother and daughter have a ton of personality! I really was impressed with this book and enjoyed it a lot!
This is a great basic beginning reader about dinosaurs. It explains how to pronounce the names of each dinosaur (very important for readers just beginning to sound things out) and gives basic information about them. It’s all very simple, but great for kids who want to read about Dinosaurs when most books on the topic are going to be way too difficult for them to read on their own. I was quite pleased with the whole thing!
This is such a sweet story. I liked the description of the cat looking like smashed prunes! I also liked the flip of the cat being Mudge’s mother, but also named Dave. That was a great gender reversal. I liked that the cat defied expectations – it was neat and ‘mom-like’, but owned by a man in a masculine job! It was really awesome.
Oh! And Henry – a boy – cried without comment. It just was. Every kid cries, boy or girl, but we don’t often see fictional boys do it!
This is a fun Biscuit story. It’s got great pictures of cute ducklings and the curious little puppy. The story is simple but has actual plot and everything so that it doesn’t just wander. This actually is a pretty good beginning reader. I enjoyed the story, but I didn’t think it was amazing either. It’s good at what it does, though.
This is a fun book of opposites. It’s unlikely to appeal to anyone who hasn’t seen the movie Cars, but for young fans it’s a fun, simple beginning reader using characters and scenes they know. It’s very Seussian in some ways, which is good for a beginning reader. I liked this one, simple as it is, and I think that it does a good job of what it’s trying to do.
This was a quiet, sweet book. I would have liked to see a little more happen (especially in the little dog’s dreams), but it worked for what it was. Who really reads beginning readers before bed, though? Does this have much of an audience? It seems odd.
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