11/01/2020
PreS-Gr 1—This series for beginning readers explores a variety of locations, from airports to farmer's markets to museums. The opening pages offer tools to support fluency and comprehension; high-frequency and content-area words are highlighted. Thoughtful before-and-after reading activities, designed to be used with the support of parents or educators, are provided to help readers engage with the text. Page layouts include a full-page color photograph, which is often labeled so that readers can engage with subject-specific vocabulary, along with one short sentence that reflects the specific image. Repetitive sentence structures are used throughout the text. Photographs show children and adults who are people of color. There is also a good balance of gender and age representation. VERDICT Thoughtful prompts and intentional choices to support early readers make this an excellent series for children at the beginning of their reading journey.
