Bella and I are excited to share our latest reads in It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR is a community of bloggers who link up to share what they are reading. Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers and Jen Vincent of Teach Mentor Texts decided to give it a #kidlit focus and encourage everyone who participates to visit at least 3 of the other #kidlit book bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Publishing for sharing copies of Ready-to-Read books that all recently published on August 29. 2023. All opinions are my own.
Cat vs. Vac by Kaz Windness (Ready-to-Read Level 1)
On the very first page spread, Cat and Dog are enjoying a snooze while an annoyed looking Bird perches on the back of the couch. A delivery man can be spotted in the background. The doorbell awakens the sleeping animals who open (along with the bird) the delivered box revealing a vacuum. Taking control, Bird plugs Vac in and turns on the switch causing both Cat and Dog to panic. I love how author/illustrator Windness draws the vacuum with a face on its base reminding me of the movie, Mr. Mom. A point comes when Bird is no longer in charge and every animal is prey. Bird releases Dog’s snout and Cat and Dog collaborate to save Bird. Will the trio (actually quintet with snake and rat) be able to claim victory over Vac?
Ever since her debut picture book, Swim, Jim, I have been in awe of Windness’ books both in words and illustrations. Energetic artwork as well as rhyming and decodable text that exposes kids to rich vocabulary makes Cat vs. Vac the epitome of early readers. I especially love how the pets collaborate against the enemy and while they bask In their victory for a moment, they are ready to collectively, tackle the latest threat, the roomba. And let’s be honest, animals in underwear is always adorable.
Puppy-Cam (Critter-Cam) by Margie Palatini Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (Ready-to-Read Pre-Level 1)
When a dog has a camera attached to its head, emergent readers get to see the world from the pup’s point of view. It spies a ball in the yard but is distracted by birds and then a squirrel. While running after the squirrel, it stops to itch and kids will see a tiny bug on the pup’s nose. The dog loses focus to mark a tree and dig a bone. Than a cat appears. Ugh! All these interruptions make for a very tired puppy.
Supportive and lively illustrations full of action and and an accessible text with one to three word sentences and repetition makes Puppy-Cam a “paw-fect” story for adults to read with kids. Check out the other two books, Kitty-Cam & Shark-Cam, in the Critter-Cam series.
Cat Sees Snow by Laura Gehl Illustrated by Fred Blunt (Ready to Read: Ready to Go!)
Cat looks out the window excited to see snow. Once outside, the feline realizes it can’t go anywhere. Cat tries to mow, blow, and row in the snow with no luck and walking is cold and slow. Dog repeats Cat’s initial actions with the same results but then finds a way to go fast sneaking up on Cat. When Pig arrives, Cat and Dog join forces; however Pig gets the last laugh!
With a length around 100 words, sight words, word families, repetition , and the use of capital letters for emphasis, Cat Sees Snow is written for emergent readers to read independently. As a reading specialist, I admire Gehl’s ability to craft a fun and engaging story with a limited number of words. Blunt’s entertaining and expressive illustrations match the text providing additional support to the reader. Before the text, children are introduced to the characters as well as list of all the words used in the story. Parents can also check comprehension by orally asking the questions on the last page of the book. To check out the rest of Gehl’s and Blunt’s books in their series, click here.
Try a Bite, Trilobite! by Jonathan Fenske (Ready to Read: Level 1)
Bug shows his snack to Trilobite declaring it the best treat ever. When Bug asks Trilobite to try it, Trilobite flat out refuses. Why? Apparently Trilobite only likes and eats noodles and cannot be persuaded to take a nibble or even a crumb. But when Trilobite hears Bug’s comments while taking a bite of the snack, Trilobite changes its mind enjoying a few bites until there is no snack left. At first, Bug is annoyed but Trilobite makes up for it in more ways than one.
First, I love that as an adult, I was introduced to trilobites which are extinct prehistoric animals related to insects. Second, I am always thrilled to find stories with decodable text, common sight words, and dynamic illustrations that kindergarten and first graders can read on their own. What I love most about Try a Bite, Trilobite is that author/illustrator Fenske wrote an accessible story with fun characters and a plot that will make kids laugh out loud. The icing on the cake is perhaps, children maybe be persuaded to try to eat something new.
Bella’s Dog Pick of the Week
Wanting to spread the dog love, Beagles and Books has weekly feature of highlighting a literary selection with a canine character.
Styx and Scones: The Cracked Crystal by Jay Cooper (Ready-to-Read Graphic 2)
Living with two witches can get you in trouble. When left home alone, Scones, a dog, feels sorry for the crystal ball believing that the ball should be played with not just remain sitting on a table. Styx, a cat, disagrees recalling they are not to touch anything. After some tears, begging, and promises, Scones convinces Styx to play with the ball. When the ball is dropped, it not only cracks but also runs away crashing through a window. Can the pair get the crystal ball back before the witches return?
The Styx and Scones series is a great introduction to graphic novels for early readers. Before the story, children and their parents learn the fundamentals having elements such as speech bubbles and panels defined, and directions on how to read them. The story is easily accessible with a mix of panels from full page to three. Cooper’s engaging characters, fun plot, and expressive illustrations also support kids as they become independent readers. If this series is new to you, check out Book 1: The Sticky Wand which published in June 2023.
Bella and I thank you for visiting Beagles and Books!
#IMWAYR is dedicated to dear Etta, my original book beagle. Blessed that Etta is part of my story.
Beagles & Books 
I have to get some of these! They all look great!
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