Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Book Review: Mildred and Sam and Their Babies by Sharleen Collicott (2005)

Mildred and Sam and Their Babies is an easy reader designated as Level 2, "Reading with Help." It's the story of a mouse couple who have eight babies. Mildred worries constantly. What if the stroller moves too quickly? What if her babies fall out of their swings? What if the bathwater is too hot? "Our babies will be just fine," Sam assures her, but Mildred isn't so sure.

The babies have big dreams, however. Night after night, they imagine themselves in various exciting situations, only to have their dreams thwarted by their parents' interference. Thankfully, their inquisitive nature is rewarded in the second chapter of  the book. Their parents build  them some scooters, sew them some backpacks, and send them off to school.

The repetition in this book makes it a good one for new readers who are learning to recognize more and more words. The illustrations, which alternate between the mouse family's daily lives and the babies' wild imaginings are the perfect complement to the text, and they hint at what is happening in the story, which helps provide context for the reader. This book also takes on a unique perspective, that of the mom and dad instead of the child, which I really enjoyed.

Mildred and Sam's adventures began in a book called Mildred & Sam, and they continue in Mildred and Sam Go To School.

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