Books that grab the young reader are always a treat to read. You never know what you might find. However, the adult reader actually might miss things that the child reader will enjoy. Therefore, two books that had a great start, but fell short for me, is the subject of this review.
This very easy reader by Janee Trasler (Frog Meets Dog: An Acorn Book (A Frog and Dog Book #1) is good for the just starting out sight reader. However, the story itself is weak. All the Dog wants to do is play with the Frogs. But the frogs are busy being standoffish to even think about playing with a dog; as the dog cannot do anything the frogs can. Yet, when the dog can do something for the frogs, YAY! We are now friends. And the things the dog could not do before, (hop, jump, leap) he still cannot do, but that is okay as his new friends can help him. Very basic sketches with extremely bright colored illustrations cover the pages. This quirky book is for that quirky reader.
When you find fiction book about space (a subject usually nonfiction) you pounce on it. Yet, even with all the possibilities of Sadiq and the Desert Star by Siman Nurrali, (a good book about diverseness; a fiction book scattered with facts about space and the family’s culture; and is a good friendship story) you become a bit disappointed when the story falls a little short of expectations. I needed more about space. I wanted more interaction with Sadiq and his friends. I wanted to learn more about Sadiq’s culture. With that said, Anjan Sarkar’s illustrations are sweet. You see everything and one and get a picture of what is going on. They are a treat. A glossary and activities for the reader/classroom round this book for ages six/seven to nine.