'Y' 'BO GO UP!' and 'CAT EGG' by LARRY BAUM (With illustrations by JOANNA PASEK.
SOURCE ... Received with thanks from the author.
READ FOR A CHALLENGE? ... No.
MY THOUGHTS ... Marketed at children aged two to five years of age (though I'm sure even younger children will find them enjoyable) the Bo Books are based around the concept that reading would be even easier if only simple sounds were used. *
Beginning with 'Y'... the story of a little girl who asks why the sky is blue and the grass is green ... a 1-letter word book with sentences like U C A B? Y? (You See A Bee? Why?) that once mastered, the reader, having a sense of achievement and pride, moves onto the next book.
The story of two friends playing with a ball until an ad on one of their t-shirts leads them to a hot air balloon ride 'BO, GO UP!' is a 2-letter word book that, the readers confidence increasing, leads onto the third book in the series.
The story of what happens when three children play with a pet cat which has laid an egg ... or has it? 'CAT EGG' is a 3-letter word book with a surprising ending.
Reading 'Y', 'BO, GO UP!' and even (though not quite so much) 'CAT EGG' did at first feel slightly alien in so much as as adults we are not accustomed to stories written using entirely only 1-letter, 2-letter or even 3-letter words.
However thinking about it, small children do talk using very short words that gradually get bigger as they develop and so, yes, it makes perfect sense that little ones will enjoy the books, the reading of which may well come to them more naturally than books for children which all too often use 'big' words and anything that encourages reading; that makes it that much easier to master has to be a good thing, right?
Fun stories accompanied by detailed full colour double page illustrations that are full of expression. I loved how 'up to date' these books felt; that in 'Y' its a male character (the child's dad?) who takes the girl (his daughter?) to the park, that, rich in diversity, we see not just white characters but also characters of colour.
* For a more detailed explanation of the concept behind the books please click on the link to 'Y' at the top of the post.
PLEASE NOTE ...
The e-book version of 'Y' is free at http://bobooks.org or https://www.smashwords.com/books/byse...
The e-book version of 'BO, GO UP!' is free at http://bobooks.org or https://www.smashwords.com/books/byse...
The e-book version of 'CAT EGG' is free at http://bobooks.org or https://www.smashwords.com/books/byse...
Beginning with 'Y'... the story of a little girl who asks why the sky is blue and the grass is green ... a 1-letter word book with sentences like U C A B? Y? (You See A Bee? Why?) that once mastered, the reader, having a sense of achievement and pride, moves onto the next book.Reading 'Y', 'BO, GO UP!' and even (though not quite so much) 'CAT EGG' did at first feel slightly alien in so much as as adults we are not accustomed to stories written using entirely only 1-letter, 2-letter or even 3-letter words.
However thinking about it, small children do talk using very short words that gradually get bigger as they develop and so, yes, it makes perfect sense that little ones will enjoy the books, the reading of which may well come to them more naturally than books for children which all too often use 'big' words and anything that encourages reading; that makes it that much easier to master has to be a good thing, right?
Fun stories accompanied by detailed full colour double page illustrations that are full of expression. I loved how 'up to date' these books felt; that in 'Y' its a male character (the child's dad?) who takes the girl (his daughter?) to the park, that, rich in diversity, we see not just white characters but also characters of colour.
* For a more detailed explanation of the concept behind the books please click on the link to 'Y' at the top of the post.
PLEASE NOTE ...
The e-book version of 'Y' is free at http://bobooks.org or https://www.smashwords.com/books/byse...
The e-book version of 'BO, GO UP!' is free at http://bobooks.org or https://www.smashwords.com/books/byse...
The e-book version of 'CAT EGG' is free at http://bobooks.org or https://www.smashwords.com/books/byse...
9 comments:
These look like clever books and remind me of the process called "phonics". I'm not sure how they teach children to read in our public schools now, but I was always a fan of phonics, feeling like sounding things out is a logical way to read.
I like the look and sound of these charming books for children. Lovely post, Felicity!
Thanks for sharing. They sound like great books for people with young children. :)
~Jess
Felicity,
These books sound like a
creative and delightful
way for children to learn
to read.
And I truly appreciated your
post.
Raven
These do sound good for the little ones who are just learning. Very cute!
so cute. just looking at the covers, what child wouldn't want to read them
sherry @ fundinmental
What an intriguing premise for children's books. I like it though, as I can imagine young kids finding this easier when trying to learn to read.
-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
What a cute book with a great concept!
Seems like a neat book and a neat idea. I wonder if kids would enjoy starting their reading with a book like this.
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