I Can Read About Reptiles (I Can Read About)

Explains the similarities and differences of reptiles, including turtles, snakes, lizards, and dinosaurs

Gr 1-5--Designed for small group use, these read-along sets meet the need for science materials to be used in the early elementary grades. The female narrator paces the narration so listeners can follow along with the text. Words in the illustrations are not included. The background music, ranging from soothing new age to louder beats with drums, matches the tone of the facts being explained. Realistic sound effects help bring the material to life, especially those in Weather. The narration works with the background music and sound effects and is not overpowered by them. The amount of text per page ranges from a single sentence to a couple of small paragraphs. While all the subjects are given a basic introduction, some deeper facts are included to help develop an interest in listeners. The material flows from one topic to the next with ease. Weather has a female weather forecaster, and children from different racial groups are featured. School libraries that support nontraditional teaching styles will find that these sets will be heavily used, and other school libraries may also want to include these in their collections for students who want to work together.

Ann West LaPrise, Detroit Public Library,

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