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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Smick!, by popular writer Doreen Cronin (Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type and Diary of a Worm), with art by debut illustrator Juana Medina, has very little text and reads more like a beginning reader than a picture book. A dog named Smick chases a stick and becomes friends with a chick. The text often is only a few words ("No, Smick, no!"), and there's rhyme and wordplay. The art is a simple, playful mix of thick black lines and collage, and it effectively portrays the bounding, exuberant dog. Best for very young or kids just starting to read independently.
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What's the Story?
In SMICK!, a dog named Smick chases a stick and meets a chick, and the two become friends and play together.
Is It Any Good?
The language is simple, though it becomes more adventurously playful at the end. The art also is simple, with the dog depicted by a thick black line against the white page and the chick by a colorful lily petal mimicking feathers. The art and dog are both exuberant, and young kids will like this big, bounding pup who crooks an ear, crouches to play, and wags his tail.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about big vs. little. What's cute about a big dog and a tiny chick playing together?
What other words rhymes with "Smick"? If you add new rhymes, what could happen in the story?
How does the art use both black lines and actual objects? What real objects can you find in the pictures?
Book Details
- Author: Doreen Cronin
- Illustrator: Juana Medina
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Viking Juvenile
- Publication date: February 5, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 5
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Infectious rhymes great for early reading or read-aloud.
For kids who love picture books and animal stories
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