The Horn Book Guide

EASY READERS

Hays, Anna Jane

The Pup Speaks Up

32 pp. | Random | May, 2003 | Library ISBN 0-375-91232-0 $$11.99 | Paper ISBN 0-375-81232-6 $$3.99

(4) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Valeria Petrone. "'Tick tock,' goes a clock. 'Chug, chug,' goes a tug. A train calls, 'Choo choo!' A baby cries, 'Boo-hoo!'" Bo asks his dog, Pal, to speak up, but Pal remains quiet until faced with a cat. The short, stilted sentences are sometimes nonsensical, but the rhyme and picture clues will be helpful to newly emergent readers. Children just sounding out words will have success with this book.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth