The Horn Book Guide

EASY READERS

Bechtold, Lisze , Bechtold, Lisze

Buster & Phoebe: The Great Bone Game

48 pp. | Houghton | August, 2003 | Trade ISBN 0-618-20862-3 $$15.00

(2) K-3 Buster the dog's second book relies on small variations on small situations, a useful structure in a transitional reader. Buster's bones don't seem to "stay" as well as fellow pet (and big-sister stand-in) Phoebe's better trained ones. The thievery (Phoebe distracts Buster and swipes his bones) is left for readers to infer, making the joke better. The illustrations are plentiful and engagingly varied in size to give each turn of the page a fresh start.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2003