School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 1-These very basic readers contain simple stories, repetition and rhyme, and colorfully illustrated pages. Big, Big Wall is a retelling of "Humpty Dumpty." Though the mouse and bunny are too small to keep him from cracking, a perky pig comes to the rescue, and the three friends cushion the egg as he tumbles into a flower bed. Dewey and Aruego's art lends whimsical good cheer to this familiar tale with a new twist. The second book is not quite as successful. Jack, a cat, and Sam, a mouse, meet in the first vignette and pronounce their friendship in the second, but the final story wanders into Sam's feelings of being big, little, sad, and, finally, happy on the last page when he and Jack are together. Bowers's illustrations are bold and cheerful. Beginning readers will enjoy their success as they read these stories independently.-Alice Casey Smith, Sayreville Public Schools, Parlin, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
In easy rhyming couplets, this beginning reader describes how three children make a pizza: This is our bowl. / ItÆs just the right size. / In goes the dough. / ItÆs starting to rise! CravathÆs simple, dynamic illustrations focus on the three chefsÆ faces (and show a grown-up handling the knives and the oven). A pizza recipe finishes this perfect match of pictures and text. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. K-1. Young ones will learn to make pizza from scratch in this colorful entry in the Viking Easy-to-Read series. The rhyming text follows three friends as they collect ingredients, mix and knead the dough, add the toppings, bake, and then clean the kitchen. Although a few lines don't scan well, the rhyme and rhythm work overall and will help propel young readers through the pages, with vocabulary that's just right. The vibrant illustrations, reminiscent of Marjorie Priceman's work, reinforce and extend the action introduced in the words, showing the kids having fun and doing well on their own, with an adult on hand to handle the knives and oven. A pizza recipe concludes. --Gillian Engberg
