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Written: Feb 15 '05 (Updated Feb 15 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easily involves the non-reading child in the actual reading process.
Cons: Does this book ever end???
The Bottom Line: I will recommend this book for a 'one-time' read.
Repetitiveness IS this book; however, repetitively reading this book is highly unlikely!!!
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| givingmybest's Full Review: |
My little girl goes once a week to our local library for what we refer to as Story Time. This is where several toddlers in our area come together and meet at the library. There is a part-time employee there that is a retired school teacher and she is great with children. Each week, Story Time consists of various activities such as reading library books, singing songs, marching around the room, fixing a craft that relates to the theme for that day and ending the hour by having a snack like popcorn, sliced oranges, or cut-up bananas. One day they all were actively involved in fixing and eating pancakes! It is a wonderful opportunity for my little girl. She learns so much and thoroughly enjoys her time and her friends there! Story Time helps in preparation for school by introducing children to the classroom setting which involves sitting still, listening and being actively involved when participation opportunity presents itself. There is a summer break, just like school. At the end of the Story Time year, each child receives a certificate of completion, a small toy and his or her choice of a book to keep. Hence, my little girl chose this book that I am about to review, The Dress I’ll Wear to the Party.
I have mixed emotions after reading this book. After reading my review, I believe that you’ll understand my reasoning.
First of all, the standard book information…
The Dress I’ll Wear to the Party is a scholastic book that is in paperback format and is thirty-two pages in length. The author is Shirley Neitzel and the pictures are by Nancy Winslow Parker. Published by Scholastic Inc., this book has a recommended reading level for children ages 4-8.
ISBN: 0-590-47476-6
More books authored by Neitzel:
The Bag I'm Taking to Grandma's
I'm Not Feeling Well Today
We're Making Breakfast for Mother
I'm Taking a Trip on My Train
The Jacket I Wear in the Snow
Our Class Took a Trip to the Zoo
The Christmas Camel
The President's Car
The House I'll Build for the Wrens
The Goat in the Rug
My Mom Travels A Lot
No Bath Tonight
Willy Bear
You can read Shirley Neitzel's biography, in her own words, at http://tinyurl.com/3qm37
The illustrations…
The illustrations in The Dress I’ll Wear to the Party, are simply, not impressive. Black pen, watercolor paints and colored pencils were used for the artwork. There are a variety of colors used throughout this book; however, no bright or bold colors. The coloring is … bland. The only impressive illustration is the mother’s dress which is a busy and wild pattern featuring three large birds.
The text…
Throughout this book, Seagull text type is used. This lettering is large and bold with no problem for reading. Spacing is generously used in between reading lines so that the reader is not made to feel uncomfortable when an entire page is dedicated to words!
The story…
The Dress I’ll Wear to the Party, is about this little girl who plans to go to a party. She wants everything concerning her wardrobe to be perfect! ….and WHAT is the ‘perfect wardrobe’ to a little girl? That’s right…her mother’s clothes, shoes, jewelry and any other accessories that she can find!!! After this little girl has put on anything and everything of her mother’s to make her attire ‘extra special’…her mother, then, comes on the scene and things do not go as smoothly from that moment on! Each item is physically removed by her mom, starting with the clip-on diamond earrings. Following the child being completely undressed, down to her slip…she is shown on the final page standing ever so proper in her own little green dress with white knee socks and white gloves, black dress shoes, a pink purse and a matching green bow in her hair…a picture perfect little girl…dressed and ready to go to the party!
Major details…
A benefit that this book, The Dress I’ll Wear to the Party has impressed me with, is that the non-reading child can be involved in the actual reading of this book. The author uses several icons to represent each item this little girl puts on. For example, the second item this girl put on was her mother’s shoes. The illustrator replaces the word shoes with a picture of a black pair of high heels. This picture method involves the child in the reading process. It also makes the child more alert and she concentrates more intensely with this form of reading. My little girl loves to be involved in everything I do and ‘reading’ is of no exception.
My immediate reaction upon opening this book was that this book was written with pure brilliance. The word F-U-N automatically came to mind!
Was my first impression a correct assumption? YES, in the first eleven pages. After that, this book unknowingly bores the reader. I am well aware of the benefit of repetitive learning in a child and I use this method as often as possible; however, repetitiveness is not always a good thing. Being repetitive, in my opinion, is not a compliment within a story book when the repeating is stretched to the max. I find myself relieved when this repetition is over and the book moves on to the next scene. I notice the same response in my little girl’s reaction.
To give a ‘full example’, the below portion of the story is taken from the scene where the little girl has put on the last item of her mother’s. The example is as follows:
These are the (diamonds) I clip on each ear,
that shine like the (rings) I slip on my hand,
that carries the (purse) with the velvet band,
where I tuck the (handkerchief) edged in lace,
that polishes the (pearls) I wear near my face,
when I spray the (perfume) that scents the air,
as I toss the (bow) I pin in my hair,
that touches the (buttons) that fasten in back,
that match the (shoes) shiny and black,
that peek from the hem of the (dress)
I’ll wear to the party.
Notice where I placed parenthesis…these words are replaced with an illustration icon.
So... What is the nuisance??? Each time this little girl adds one item to her attire…the reader has to read the current item and re-read their way back through each item to the beginning when the first item was put on. As you can tell by my listing the above portion of this book, there are ten items. The reader is re-reading ten times. Speaking from experience, this gets old…the reader easily gets bored!
My recommendation…
Sure, go ahead and give The Dress I’ll Wear to the Party a try. It is a good ‘one-time’ read. Repetitiveness is used throughout this book; however, a reader repetitively reading this book is highly unlikely.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
givingmybest
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Location: Sitting at my computer, USA
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 31 members
About Me:
A smile is an universal language, understood by all.
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