Joe and Sparky Go to School
by Jamie Michalak, illus by Frank Remkiewicz
Candlewick, 2013
5 things I love about this easy reader:
- It’s one of the freshest easy readers I’ve read lately.
- The animals’ point of view is so much fun! “The noisy short people got on the bus.” That, of course, is a school bus.
- Both main characters are so likable!? Sparky, the cautious turtle, and Joe, the adventurous giraffe, are endearing and funny. I’d like them to live in my yard!
- They end up at school, and kids will love seeing school through their eyes. My favorite part is the “magic pond” they discover, which repeatedly empties and refills. this is potty humor at its best!
- The art is fabulous–bright and funny, with incredibly expressive animals.
(Review copy provided by my amazing Maple Grove Public Library.)
I’m having so much fun reading lots of fabulous easy readers as part of the Cybils panel, and I’m trying to share one or two per week.?If you find these posts useful, please share them with other educators and book people using the social share buttons below. Part of the fun of being nominated for a Cybil is that more people get to hear about your book. Thanks!
Disclaimer: This is MY opinion only! This does not reflect any Cybils discussion nor the opinions of the other Cybils panelists or judges. Perhaps I’ll share some titles everyone else on the panel hates! Perhaps I’ll share ones everyone has fallen in love with. I’ll never tell, and you’ll never know:>)