You have exceeded your limit for simultaneous device logins.
Your current subscription allows you to be actively logged in on up to three (3) devices simultaneously. Click on continue below to log out of other sessions and log in on this device.
A dog lover's delight and a sweet bedtime read.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA
A small yellow dog has no interest in going to bed. (Just like many a child.) Even after the house and the people in it are asleep, the dog is awake and remembering his fun-filled day—playing, eating, and hearing the words he knows (such as good dog). No stranger to bedtime stories, Ray (Stars, rev. 11/11; Go to Sleep, Little Farm, rev. 11/14) uses several sentences in a row containing the same repeated word (know, remember, sleep, dream), which are then followed by a short reminder that "the dog isn't sleepy"; the repetition in this pattern creates a calming rhythm sure to quiet listeners. Also calming, Malone's acrylic illustrations occasionally appear as spot art but are mostly double-page spreads that fill the pages with tranquil nighttime shades of blues, purples, and greens. When our dog (whose eyes, mere dots, have conveyed his sleepiness all along) does finally succumb to sleep, pup and bed overflow the page in an enlarged view, providing a you-are-there, warm and cozy sensation. Comfortably rounded, soothing shapes in the art (a lamp, the moon, the dog's bed, a rug) continue throughout the dog's dream (the sun, a ball), becoming more vibrant in color as morning nears and "a new day is waiting." This effective bedtime story reminds kids that fun will be had again when they wake
Each book begins with the birth of an African animal and then describes its growth and development, behaviors, diet, and physical characteristics. The writing is often choppy, size comparisons can be odd (e.g., 2.5 ounces "is about as much as fourteen nickels"), and important facts are omitted. The stock baby animal photos on brightly colored backgrounds will draw readers in, though. There are three other fall 2015 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Lightning Bolt Books: Baby African Animals titles: Meet a Baby Elephant, Meet a Baby Giraffe, Meet a Baby Lemur, Meet a Baby Zebra, and Meet a Baby Chimpanzee.
These very basic introductions will work best when accompanying classroom instruction.
Through a brief story, each book demonstrates multiple uses of one punctuation mark: Ahmed, for instance, uses exclamation points when he makes the soccer team (Exciting!). Different-color type effectively highlights each in-text use of the featured punctuation mark. The stories are slight, but the repeat characters' enthusiastic, friendly faces may engage readers. A list of each mark's key functions is appended. Review covers these Punctuation Station titles: "What Did You Say?", Stop Right There., Take a Pause, Paul, This Is Exciting, We're Going to the Smiths' House, and What Is That?.
Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes brimming with sarcastic, cheeky, laugh-out-loud humor, this is a smart, original, and completely engaging adventure.