The Peculiar Possum (The Nocturnals Early Reader Level 2 Series)

by Tracey Hecht, Josie Yee (Illustrator)

Overview

“A good series for children who love reading, science, and want to learn more on their own.”—School Library Journal

In this Nocturnals Level 2 Early Reader, The Peculiar Possum, Dawn, Tobin, and Bismark encounter strange sounds and smells in the valley. When an unfamiliar animal—a possum—appears and seems strange, Bismark is not pleased! Soon, Penny the Possum shows the Nocturnal Brigade how being different is also a reason to be proud.

GREAT BEGINNING READERS FOR SUMMER!
Download the series's complimentary printable activities at NocturnalsWorld.com: Sight Word Games, Makerspace Crafts, Bingo, Common Core Language Arts Educator Guide, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Activities, and More!

Includes Bonus Nocturnals Fun Facts and a Glossary of Peculiar Words from Different Languages (Ages 5-7)
Life Skill Themes include Accepting Differences, Empathy, and Kindness.

Read All Seven of the Nocturnals Grow & Read Adventures, like The Moonlight Meeting, which introduces Beginning Readers to Life Skill Themes such as Friendship and Sharing.
They all feature Dawn, a serious fox, Tobin, a sweet pangolin, and Bismark, a pint-sized sugar glider.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944020200
Publisher:	Fabled Films Press
Publication date:	10/30/2018
Series:	Nocturnals Early Reader Series
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	82,570
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Tracey Hecht has written, directed, and produced for film. The American Booksellers Association chose the first book in her critically acclaimed middle grade series, The Nocturnals: The Mysterious Abductions, as a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. In addition, her Grow & Read early reader book, The Chestnut Challenge, was given a Mom’s Choice Gold Award. In partnership with the New York Public Library, Tracey created a Read Aloud Writing Program that she has since conducted—both in person and virtually—in over 100 schools, libraries, and bookstores across the country. Other books in the Nocturnals Grow & Read early reader book series include The Tasty Treat, The Moonlight Meeting, The Peculiar Possum, The Slithery Shakedown, The Kooky Kinkajou, The Best Burp and The Weeping Wombat. Tracey currently splits her time between New York City and Oquossoc, Maine, with her husband and four children.

Editorial Reviews

Reviews for The Peculiar Possum

“Hecht’s playful narrative style livens the baldly delivered lesson, as do a handful of challenging words that are not only defined by context and in a glossary in the back, but matched to equivalents in five languages.”—Booklist

“The art, which is largely redundant of text, provides cues to help readers with decoding…” —Kirkus

“[The Brigade] discovers different isn’t bad, it’s just an opportunity to discover something or someone new! A great book on acceptance, tolerance, and inclusion.”—Story Monsters

“This easy reader chapter book has short, easy sentences with occasional alliteration. The illustrations have a pleasing palette. Includes facts about the animals and a glossary.”—Youth Services Book Review

Praise for The Nocturnals Grow & Read Early Reader Series

"Beginning readers will enjoy this tale and will cheer on the threesome who defeat a bully by using their words.”—School Library Journal

“Hecht successfully set the stage for more adventurous outings down the road...”—Publishers Weekly

"This tale uses plenty of important vocabulary words, easily decipherable within context, while showing how friends who stick together can facedown even the meanest bully."—Booklist

“The series addresses bullying and empathy in an easy, accessible way, and the books are meant to be read aloud.”—New York Post

From the Publisher

2018-08-14

Three animal friends try to figure out why a sugar glider's favorite food is missing and encounter a new neighbor in their community.

The three anthropomorphic, nocturnal animals, Tobin (a pangolin), Bismark (a sugar glider), and Dawn (a fox), are puzzled when Bismark finds only one pomelo in the tree. They hear strange sounds and smell unfamiliar scents, both of which cause them to conclude they "have a prowler in [their] presence." This turns out to be a possum, who plays dead when she is frightened by the others. Bismark, already annoyed that she's taken at least one pomelo, thinks her behavior is "peculiar," and he tells her so when she comes to. Alliteration with the letter p dominates several of the ensuing passages as Penny the possum defends herself against Bismark's insults (Penny's "not pleasant" but "peculiar"; "Penny prowls and she pillages"). The other animals take her side, and eventually Bismark apologizes. The writing is both stilted and likely too sophisticated for many new readers, and it commits the cardinal grammatical sin of using "lay" instead of "lie"—arguably a fatal flaw in an early reader. The art, which is largely redundant of text, provides cues to help readers with decoding, but its uninspired setting and bland, animation-inspired characterization do little to enhance the feeble storytelling.

Not exactly peculiar but far from compelling. (Early reader. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews

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