| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that there's nothing to be concerned about in these three short stories for early readers.
In three related short stories for beginning readers, Ben, after thinking about and rejecting several other types of pets, gets a new dog and names her Aggie. In the second story he learns to play with and relate to her, and in the last they face the scariness of a darkened bedroom together.
Writing books for beginning readers is tricky. The intellectual and interest levels of young readers usually exceed their reading abilities, and crafting a story that's interesting to them -- while sticking to a very strictly confined vocabulary set -- is a challenge few have mastered. The stories in AGGIE AND BEN aren't the most exciting ever written, but they're engrossing enough to keep a child reading, and they have flashes of humor and depth.
What sets the book apart from others of this type are the illustrations and the way they work cleverly with the text. The pictures -- pen-and-ink with watercolor -- are humorously stylized and more sophisticated than those in most I-Can-Read books. They bear close and repeat viewings, as faces and bodies express ideas only hinted at by the text (the boredom of the pet shopkeeper, the father's reaction as his son considers a snake, etc.).
Families can talk about pet ownership. Why do people have pets? What are the responsibilities of the owners? Kids might be interested in writing or dictating stories about their pets. What other books about pets have you read?
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
| Author: | Lori Ries |
| Illustrator: | Frank W. Dormer |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Family Life |
| Publisher: | Charles E. Tuttle |
| Publication date: | June 1, 2006 |
| Number of pages: | 48 |
| Hardcover price: | $12.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 5 - 7 |
| Read aloud: | 5 |
| Read alone: | 6 |
Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!