Youngsters who are just beginning this wonderful adventure into reading need books that are at their appropriate reading level – as well as quality books. The following books are well illustrated and are of high interest to these young readers. I will begin with emergent readers and then move to early chapter books. The first five books are for emergent readers.
Who is the Mystery Reader?, by Mo Willems, is another great story by this award-winning author / illustrator. This particular book invites the reader to guess, along with Zoom the Squirrel, who the mystery reader is. By the end of this fun story, you will be able to determine the mystery reader.
Poppleton, by Cynthia Rylant, and wonderfully illustrated by Mark Teague, is part of a new Acorn series that features award-winning authors and illustrators. Poppleton is the first book of several books featuring this kind and considerate pig.
Princess Truly: Off We Go!, by Kelly Greenawalt, and richly painted by Amariah Rauscher, is another new Acorn book which also is a new series featuring this adventurer.
Big Dog and Little Dog (5 Tales of Adventure), by Dav Pilkey, showcases Pilkey’s fun-loving friends of these two dogs. The adventures are funny and enjoyable for youngsters which also includes mazes and word building activities. The illustrations are bright with a limited text in each story.
Snail & Worm All Day, by Tina Kugler, continues the story about these two great friends who seem to get themselves into situations that will have readers giggling out loud! The cartoonish style of illustrations helps propel the hilarious antics of both Snail and Worm. You’ll desire to read the other two books: Snail & Worm and Snail & Worm Again.
The Princess in Black and the Bath Time Battle, by Shannon and Dean Hale, and vividly painted with watercolor and ink by LeUyen Pham, continues these exciting stories featuring this adventurous princess. This time, there is something amiss in the goat pasture and the pungent smell is overpowering. How can this problem-solving princess solve this dilemma? Readers will be thrust once again into a fun adventure filled with humor.
If You Love Dolphins, You Could Be…, by May Nakamura, and nicely illustrated by Natalie Kwee, is a non-fiction series that helps young kids explore the many possibilities of job opportunities when they become adults. It’s never too early to find something of great interest to delve into more. This book states that if you love the ocean you could become a marine biologist, an aquatic veterinarian or even an underwater photographer. Two other books in this series is If you Love Fashion and If you love Robots. The last book will be published in May.
You Should Meet: Kids Who are Changing the World, by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, and brightly illustrated by Alyssa Petersen, is another non-fiction guiding children towards inspiring people and learning more about what made these people great. This book showcases four young people who did things on their own to improve the world. One young teen helped the homeless while another invented a media call devise to save lives. Other books in this series include You Should Meet: Roberta Gibb and You should Meet: Katherine Johnson.
Diary of a Pug: Pug Blasts Off, by Kyla May, is the newest book in the popular Branches series. Branches is geared for early chapter book readers and has content that is high interest and fast paced so that young readers don’t want to stop reading. This book is the first in a planned series about this darling dog and it’s told through his point of view. Book 2 has recently been published: Pug’s Snowy Day.
The Magic Mirror (Once Upon a Fairy Tale), by Anna Staniszewski, and illustrated by Macky Pamintuan, is another Branches series book. This is book one in a planned series that finds the Enchanted Kingdom in a heat wave. So, when the Ice Princess tries to turn the kingdom back to winter, she finds her magic mirror is broken. Now Kara and Zed must fix the magic mirror to make this sweltering heat disappear. Book two has recently been published: The Stolen Slipper.
Mia Mayhem & the Mighty Robot, by Kara West, and brightly illustrated by Leeward Hernandez, is the sixth book in this adventure book series. Eddie, Mia’s best friend, has created a robot that will clean anything. But after cleaning the house like it is programmed to do, problems begin to happen when Mia somehow makes this robot grow and grow into a giant machine. This is an excellent series keeping kids interested to the very last page.
Fabio The World’s Greatest Flamingo: The Case of the Missing Hippo, by Laura James, and brightly illustrated by Emily Fox, is a fun and funny mystery that only this tall and very pink flamingo can solve. When he discovers Julia, the singing hippo, has suddenly disappeared and cannot compete in the talent contest, Fabio knows something strange is going on. You will discover this flamingo truly is fabulous and fabulously funny!
