Grandpa Spanielson's Chicken Pox Stories #3

K-Gr 2—Grandpa does his best to distract Barney, a pup, from his itchy chicken pox in this I Can Read, Level Two book (HarperCollins, 2006) by Denys Cazet. In a story-within-a-story, Grandpa and Doctor Storkmeyer battle the Pooches, who cavort in classic cannibal costume around a hot cauldron full of "shrink juice." Hilarious and colorful cartoon illustrations by Cazet enhance the mayhem as the sounds of the jungle, poison darts, and bubbling brew gleefully set the scene. This is a book that is truly improved in the audio version. Spooky background music and sound effects from drums to doorbells add realism to this wacky tale. John Beach narrates with a grandfatherly voice and creates different character voices with ease and humor. Page-turn signals are optional. An excellent choice for classroom listening centers, it could also be projected via an Elmo machine onto a Smartboard for the entire class to enjoy.—Lonna Pierce, MacArthur Elementary School, Binghamton, NY