Oh, the Prince has a boo-boo: he bumped his head and needs a band-aid. Who will get it? The nanny starts the cry, and soon the cook, the King, the Queen, the general all swing into action. An entertaining cumulative story with rhythmic word repetition that enhances the reading experience and fun pictures by noted illustrator R.W. Alley.
K-Gr. 1. The I'm Going to Read series goes a bit beyond regular easy readers by providing a "word bank" at the top of each page that encourages children to focus on words used in the story. Here, it's a simple one that includes just 50 words. A young prince knocks himself in the head with a ball and proclaims, "I have a boo-boo. I need a bandage." So the nanny tells the cook, who is overhead by the king, who informs the queen, and so on. The ending is a little abrupt, but the cumulative tale, filled with repetition, is good for the newest reader. Veteran illustrator Alley provides cheery artwork that reinforces the word bank. More suggestions for using that feature appear in an opening note to parents. Ilene Cooper
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