Early Readers: Pets Edition

Dixie Wins the Race
story by Grace Gilman
pictures by Jacqueline Rogers
HarperCollinsPublishers | 2012
I Can Read! 1: Beginning Reading

Emma and her dog, Dixie love to run together, but when Emma participates in a relay race, Dixie is given a difficult task. Sit. Stay. Cheer.
Dixie demonstrates great self control. She sits, she stays, but when she cheers, the race takes a turn for the worse.  Dixie comes to the rescue and... you guessed it... she wins the race!

Simple sentences, a bit of repetition, and a faithful canine hero make this a great book for new readers.  


Mittens at School
by Lola M. Schaefer
pictures by Susan Kathleen Hartung
HarperCollinsPublishers | 2012
I Can Read! My First Shared Reading 

When she is taken to school for show-and-tell, Mittens is also asked to sit and wait, but she is not so patient.  When the students leave the room for gym class, Mittens lets herself out of her cage (talented cat!) and explores the classroom.  Of course, she makes a bit of a mess and is caught, but quickly forgiven.

A sweet read, with just a sentence or two per page, this book is ideal for a beginning reader.


These books have been nominated for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Both books were borrowed from my local public library.