3 out of 4 stars
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Toni the Superhero
I give it 3 out of 4 stars. Overall, this is a good entry-level book for young readers. It has a little bit of a "Fun with Dick and Jane" vibe to it, in that every sentence begins the same. The story is an introduction about a young superhero name Toni who likes to do many different things that the average child also enjoys. These are things like playing, singing, dancing, going to the park, etc.
The sentences throughout the book are set up so that each begins the same, but end differently, thus allowing the child to learn a new word each time. Most of the words are short and simple, like "run," or, "swim," but a few might be more difficult for the intended age group (0-4). An example of this would be the word "terrific." The sentence structures are very basic and straightforward as they should be for this age group, with a simple noun-verb-subject format.
Personally, I would have liked a more phonics-based approach, which this is not. It is similar though, and could probably be used by someone using that style because of its simplicity. It's like phonics mixed with "Dick and Jane-esque readers. The illustrations are good, not overly artistic, but very well done. Additionally, the main character, who is a superhero, does not do any superhero type things in this book. This book is meant as an introduction to the character only. I look forward to seeing what types of adventures little "Toni" goes on.
As a sidenote, I also liked the ethnic diversity of the children in the illustrations. One thing that would have made me like it more though, is if there was a little bit more variety in the sentence structure. Perhaps we will see this in later books by the author, as it was meant to be the first in a series designed to help children learn how to read. However, as a standalone book, it makes it a bit too repetitive. But again, I am coming from a phonics background. Someone using sight words may find that this repetition is perfect for their needs. This is especially true if the sight word is "likes."
So overall, it is a good early learning reader, if not a bit repetitive. It has professional looking illustrations that will appeal to young children. The main character is cool because he's a superhero, and he enjoys a variety of different things. This should enable children with different interests to find something that they have in common with the main character. That is good for engaging young readers and making a connection to the story. Most parents and teachers can tell you how important being engaged is when convincing child to read.
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Toni the Superhero
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