Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World is cute. Cute story about friendship, overcoming fears and not leaving your tuna sandwich laying around. Cute illustrations. Cute humor and cute presentation. Yes, Jacqueline Davies (author) and Deborah Hocking (illustration) created a cute overall new tale for the (read aloud/pick up a few words) 5 to 9 (solo reading). A young 10-year-old could also find a little something from this.
Sydney and Taylor are two friends (hello Frog and Toad, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, Boris and Morris, Bert and Ernie), one is a skunk the other a hedgehog. They live under the shed of a human. They do not do much exploring, but one day they decided to do so. And not just a little trip, oh no! The whole world they want to see. With bumps, laughs, starts and stops, finally the two take off. Only to see that adventures can be more adventuresome than either expected! But there is nothing they cannot do when they have their best friend by their side.
A story about overcoming fears, being brave, standing up for yourself and friendship, kids of all ages will laugh at the crazy predicaments these two get into. There is a smidgen of science thrown in as well (the hedgehog rolls into a ball when scared; the skunk lets the world know they have been skunked). Hocking’s art compliments, accents and tells the story right along with the text. You can read these “just right” detailed sketches as easily as the text itself. This early to middle chapter book will be a great summer treat as this book is due August 2021.
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