Bamboo and I Wish (Early Reader) by Alice Hemming and Julia Seal
| Bamboo and I Wish (Early Reader) by Alice Hemming and Julia Seal | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Ruth Ng
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| Summary: Sweet pictures, especially the panda, and two fun stories help those just learning to read make a great start. | |
| Buy? yes | Borrow? yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: May 2017 |
| Publisher: Maverick Arts Publishing | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781848862517 | |
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With two stories in one book, there's plenty to like about this simple, and funny, early reader. The first story, Bamboo, deals with a cheeky panda who has run off to hide. Where can he be? The second story is about a wishing well which is granting wishes left, right and centre! Evaluated as a red level book, it sets itself as being about the right level for those around the end of their reception year.
Since my son just finished his reception year at school I gave this book to him to read as soon as it arrived. He was thrilled to have a new picture book that was one that he could read alone, and something a bit different from the books he's been working through all year at school. It seemed to be aimed at the right level since he read it reasonably easily, with perhaps just one or two tricky words. Because of this, he has come back to the book several times to sit and read it himself, because he knows it is achievable. He also really likes the stories in this book, enjoying the cheeky panda's antics, and all the different wishes that get granted.
The Maverick Early Reader series has been created to bring the fun of bedtime stories into the classroom, easing a child's transition from being a listener to being a reader. The format of the books makes them a smaller, thinner picture book, more like a normal paperback size. They're easy to hold with good, clear fonts. The books follow the Institute of Education's banding system, and the difficulty of each book takes into account aspects such as content, language style, the book's layout and phonics. There is a chart included at the back of the books to show the different levels. Children do learn to read at different speeds, but there is also some indication given of expected ages. The books also have helpful introductions to certain letters, notes about high frequency words and other words to familiarise yourself with as well as reading tips and fun questions to ask your child as they read.
The illustrations in the book support the story perfectly. Panda is very cute, and all the colours are bright and attractive. You can use the pictures too for figuring out what's happening in the story, if you get a bit stuck. I think these early reader books are great, and this one is a particular favourite in our house. Simple, but very sweet! Definitely recommended for your little ones who are just starting out on their reading journey.
Further reading suggestion: You might also like to take a look at Chocolate Porridge (Early Reader) by Margaret Mahy and Terry Milne and Mr Monkey and the Birthday Party (Early Reader) by Linda Chapman and Sam Hearn.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Bamboo and I Wish (Early Reader) by Alice Hemming and Julia Seal at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Bamboo and I Wish (Early Reader) by Alice Hemming and Julia Seal at Amazon.com.
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