  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 02/15/2014 *Starred Review* Here’s a book that is not just a smart story but one that has myriad uses as well. With simple geometric shapes and pure colors, Yuly introduces Early Bird, who, as one would suspect, likes to rise and shine. As the pages turn, the sky changes shades of blue. Strong verbs explain how the bird stands tall, breathes deeply, and then gets going, across the grass and under the spiderweb, until she finally arrives at the garden, where she spies a worm. And yes, this early bird does get the worm. (In one delightful picture, she has picked it up in her beak, and it looks like a mustache.) Kids who know about birds and worms may be a little nervous at this point, especially after the worm is carefully placed on a strawberry. Happily, the berry is for them to share, and together they enjoy breakfast. It’s unusual for a book this straightforward to accomplish several things, but this succeeds. Yuly offers a story that has action and tension, while at the same time—with the help of parents and teachers—extends the way kids think about words. A simple exercise would be to ask them other things Early Bird might do, thereby emphasizing verbs and prepositions. A fun way to learn. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. School Library Journal - 03/01/2014 PreS—Based on the popular idiom "The early bird catches the worm," Yuly's story follows Early Bird as she gets an early start, taking off before the sun has even finished climbing over the horizon. Early Bird darts through the pages of the book, until at last she finds the Early Worm and the book ends in a happy surprise. This cheerful story moves at a zippy pace and is packed with directional words such as "across," "through," "under," "up," "around," and "over." Early Bird is feisty and full of energy and is drawn with thick lines and colored bright red, which suits her spirited characterization. Rendered in pen and ink and digital media, the illustrations are crisp and vibrant, featuring bold colors, chunky lines, and large, simple shapes. A big, white font allows the words to pop against the colorful images, and the text is laid out to match the directional words used on each page. With its snappy text, vivid pictures, and lively protagonist, this title would make for a fun read-aloud during storyhour.—Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
 |