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

by Tracey Hecht, Josie Yee (Illustrator)

Overview

“Addresses bullying and empathy in an easy, accessible way” —New York Post

This adventure-filled Level 2 Nocturnals Early Reader grows confidence in reading with engaging illustrations, short sentences, and fun alliteration!

Penny the peculiar possum surprises Dawn the serious fox, Tobin the sweet pangolin, and Bismark the wacky sugar glider!
At first Bismark doesn't understand her, but Penny makes friends with the Nocturnals trio and shows them how to be proud of their differences. Bonus Content includes Nocturnals Animal Glossary with Fun Facts and a Language Glossary!

PERFECT FOR EARLY READERS AGES 6–8 (Grades 1-2)

Teachers and Librarians: add to your Transitional Book Collection!

• Level 2 books feature longer text, problem solving and sight words

• Teaches Life Skills: Accepting Differences, Empathy, and Kindness

The 8-book Nocturnals Grow & Read Early Reader Collection encourages kids at all reading levels who like adventurous stories featuring unusual nocturnal animals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944020200
Publisher:	Fabled Films Press
Publication date:	10/30/2018
Series:	Nocturnals Early Reader Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	470L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Tracey Hecht is a writer and the creative director of Fabled Films Press. She created The Nocturnals, the critically acclaimed middle-grade and early reader series. The American Booksellers Association chose her first book, The Mysterious Abductions, as a Kids’ Indie Next List pick, and her nonfiction book Nighttime Animals: Awesome Features & Surprising Adaptations received the Children’s Book Council Teacher Favorites Award in 2023. In partnership with the New York Public Library, she created a Read Aloud Writing Program that has since been conducted in hundreds of schools, libraries, and bookstores. She attends Bank Street College, where she is studying to receive a dual master’s degree in childhood general education and special education. Tracey splits her time between New York City and Oquossoc, Maine.

Josie Yee is an award winning illustrator specializing in children's books. She lives in New York City with her daughter, Ana, and their cat, Dude.

Editorial Reviews

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 Reviews

The series addresses bullying and empathy in an easy, accessible way, and the books are meant to be read aloud.

New York Post

Fun-Filled Early Reader with Great 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

Very highly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections.

Midwest Book Review

Hecht successfully set the stage for more adventurous outings down the road...

Publishers Weekly

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

[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

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