As beginning readers go, it’s got the repetition and rhyme that helps to make it predictable for young readers. It’s no so much a story as a list of different types of bug behavior. The cuteness of the illustrations add appeal as well as adding meaning to the limited text. For kids who get intrigued and want to know more about bug behaviors, there’s a list of facts in the back for stronger readers to read aloud with the emergent reader.

The only good things I have to say about this book are that it has a sturdy binding, and that kids like Spiderman. Other than that, I find nothing else to recommend it. I know they are making an effort to control the vocabulary as a beginning reader, and they do include repetition that might be helpful, but the language is much too stilted. We’ve learned over the years through the works of countless authors that it is possible to limit the vocabulary while still including a natural flow and rhythm to the language. We need not feed our young readers examples of poor writing.

It’s a little fish’s first day of school, and the simple text (limited to a sentence or two per page, in a large non-intimidating font) manages to capture the mix of excitement and anxiety that can hit a student on such a day. Though the text is simple, it manages to incorporate the rhythm and rhyme and repetition that are so helpful to emergent readers.

It’s got repetition and rhyme and rhythm, as good beginning readers should, along with a good story captured in the simple text. It tells of the anxieties and excitement that go along with a big competition, as well as offering a suggestion on dealing with those anxieties (close your eyes, deep breath, count to ten). And it reminds readers that coming in second is worthy of celebrating, too.

The real strength in this book lies in its beautiful full-color photos of children at school all around the world. The text is simple: one chief sentence on each two page spread, as well as captions under two or three photos, describing how that sentence applies in different parts of the world. The theme of the text is that of the commonalities of school experiences for children all around the world, while the photos highlight both similarities and differences. There is a world map in the back with all the countries mentioned in the book highlighted.

It’s the story of two paper mice who after being cut out are tucked into some books and put away, but after dark they come out for adventures. The book ends when they crawl back into their books just before daylight. It’s a cute enough book, but really just another incarnation of a story that has been told repeatedly before.

It’s the 25th Anniversary Edition of a book I’ve never heard of. The artwork is beautiful and intriguing and always a bit strange. Each illustration is accompanied by an incomplete caption (“If mice were hair…. If worms had wheels…. If leaves were fish…”). It’s a celebration of imagination, and could be used it a variety of ways including art prompts, writing prompts, conversation starters, etc.). Suitable for all ages.

There’s a lot of rhythm to the flow of the text, which makes sense when you get to the back and notice the words set to music. It tells the story of seed that is found on an outing and brought back to the big city and planted in a jar of earth. The bunny who found it cares for it and watches it until it’s too tall to for the jar it’s in, then he and his friends take it outside to plant it in the ground. The refrain that repeats throughout the book is that though it started small, one day it will stand at a hundred feet tall. The illustrations show another whole storyline and the passage of time, as we see the little bunny’s mom pregnant, and then bringing home a new baby bunny who eventually is taking its first steps.

Trike is reminiscing over all the fun he’s had with he’s had with Lulu, when the arrival of a shiny new bike shows up and makes him conscious of all his own scratches and patches. Bike is a bit of a show-off, who likes speed, and he challenges Trike to a race. Recognizing the advantage that he’d have because of his familiarity with the route, Trike agrees, on the stipulation that if he wins, Bike has to promise to let Lulu ride at her own pace. Mid-race, when Bike’s risky behavior gives Trike an opportunity to take the lead, Trike goes after Bike to keep him save, rather than take advantage of the opening. They end up friends, and though Lulu gets presented with the shiny new Bike at her birthday, her baby brother takes over Trike, so the two get to keep riding together.

The illustrations are bright and cheerful. The text is rhyming and rhythmic. The story tells of all the barnyard animals gathering together to wait out a storm. Despite all of them declaring they’re not afraid of thunder, they obviously find comfort in each other’s company. When the storm passes, Little Blue Truck gives everyone a bedtime ride back to their own niches.