LIS 721 - Transitional Books

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 From Picture Book to Chapter Book!

Pizzoli, Greg. The Book Hog. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2019. 48 pages. $17.99, IBSN 978-1368036894

Summary: The Book Hog loves books -- the way they look, the way they feel, the way they smell--and he'll grab whatever he can find. There's only one problem: he can't read! But when a kind librarian invites him to join for storytime, this literature-loving pig discovers the treasure that books really are.

Greg Pizzoli, master of read-aloud fun and three-time Theodor Seuss Geisel Award recipient, introduces a character sure to steal kids' hearts using his signature cheerful colors and lighthearted narrative style. -- Amazon


Review: The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli is a heartwarming Level Two book that celebrates a love for reading. This picture book, recommended for children aged 4-8, is a great choice for those looking to introduce the world of reading to young children with its gentle humor and protagonist with an admiration for every book he comes by. The Book Hog features a large font and simple language, making it an approachable book for early independent readers, but it still contains sentences slightly more complex than a Level One book. Sentence structure alternates in complexity, as seen in the image above. Sentences contain expanded sight words and more multisyllabic words. The illustrations are balanced with the white space on the page, making the text accessible to young readers, but still maintaining a colorful palette and fun, retro-style artwork style that reinforces the story's theme. Overall, The Book Hog is a tribute to the freeing power of literacy and the welcoming nature of libraries and librarians, which will hopefully fuel the same love of books the Book Hog has with its readers. 

Keller, Laurie. We Are Growing!. Hyperion books for Children, 2016. 64 pages. $9.99, IBSN 978-1484726358

Summary: Walt and his friends are growing up fast! Everyone is the something-est. But . . . what about Walt? He is not the tallest, or the curliest, or the silliest. He is not the anything-est! As a BIG surprise inches closer, Walt discovers something special of his own! -- Amazon


Review: We Are Growing! by Laurie Keller fits into the Level Two category and is a part of the Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series, which is designed for emerging readers and recommended for children ages 6-8. When compared to a Level One book, the sentences and vocabulary are a little more complex, including expanded sight words and multisyllabic words such as "crunchiest", "pointiest", etc. The text and illustration work together for a dynamic and entertaining reading experience, as seen in the image above. The use of onomatopoeia and changes in typography are features that were not explicitly stated in Horning's leveled characteristics but create an engaging atmosphere. The white space and illustrations are balanced, and each page contains between 4 to 14 lines. The above characteristics align with Level Two characteristics but contain a few that lean toward Level Three books. This can be seen in the dialogue-driven text and the humor of the situation, which makes the text sound more natural. Overall, We Are Growing! is a delightful read for early independent readers looking for a laugh. 


Look, Lenore.  Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters. Illustrated by Leuyen Pham. Yearling, 2010. 192 pages. $7.99. ISBN 978-0375857508.

Summary: Alvin, an Asian American second grader who's afraid of everything, is back, and his worst fear has come true: he has to go camping. What will he do exposed in the wilderness with bears and darkness and . . . pit toilets? Luckily, he’s got his night-vision goggles and water purifying tablets and super-duper heavy-duty flashlight to keep him safe. And he’s got his dad, too. -- Amazon


Review: Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look is about a young boy, who is afraid of most things, facing the challenge of a family camping trip. This book, recommended for ages 7-10, fits into the Transitional Book category with its larger typeface, and the number of lines per page averages between 15 to 25, with 8 to 12 words per line. The sentence structure flows naturally without being overwhelming for younger readers, which is helped by the book's (anxious) first-person narrative voice. There is a lot of dialogue between characters that can also help with the flow of the story and make it easier to understand. As seen in the image above, the text is supported by simple black-and-white drawings, segmenting the text in a way that makes the story easy to follow and a good transition into full-length chapter books. The formatting of the book includes generous margins and white spaces with the text being right-hand justified. Readers will be able to relate to Alvin and his anxieties as he tries absurd ways to cope with them and find his way to connect to his family. Overall, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters will get young readers' attention with its expressiveness and humor.

Elliot, Zetta. Dragons in a Bag. Yearling, 2019. 176 pages. $16.99. IBSN 978-1524770488.

Summary: When Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma, he finds out she's not his grandmother--but she is a witch! She needs his help delivering baby dragons to a magical world where they'll be safe. There are two rules when it comes to the dragons: don't let them out of the bag, and don't feed them anything sweet. Before he knows it, Jax and his friends Vikram and Kavita have broken both rules! Will Jax get the baby dragons delivered safe and sound? Or will they be lost in Brooklyn forever? -- Amazon


Review: Zetta Elliot's Dragons in a Bag is an award-winning urban fantasy for children aged 8 - 12. This book fits under the Transitional Book category with its shorter, episodic chapters and frequent (but not uniform) use of black-and-white illustrations supporting the story, as seen in the image above. The language used is descriptive, but simple. Dragons in a Bag features diverse representation in its characters, which will hopefully help young readers see themselves in this fantasy adventure. It successfully blends magic with real-life issues without being too grim, and allows the readers to see as Jaxon grows into his own. Some issues addressed in this story are familial conflict, racism, and poverty, which can be seen in the beginning of the stary where Jaxon and his mother get evicted. The faster pace of the writing keeps the readers engaged while building suspense, which will leave the readers eager for the next installment. Overall, Dragons in a Bag is a wonderful read for those transitioning from early chapter books to more advanced fiction. The blend of realism and fantasy is a fresh take on middle-grade fantasy novels. 

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