3 out of 4 stars
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The Amazing Adventures of Polar and Hedge by Ted W. Goodrich is a children’s picture book about the escapades of Polar, Hedge, and Jonathon. Polar and Hedge are a pair of stuffed animals that Jonathon’s parents thought were perfect for him, so they decided to bring them home when he was just a baby. Everywhere that Jonathon goes, his friends Polar and Hedge are in tow. They play pool, baseball, golf, and much more. They’re so busy having fun that they don’t even realize the time passing by. Then one day, Jonathon goes away to school and leaves Polar and Hedge behind. Will he remember his two friends that are stuck on the shelf back home, or will they just become lost memories?
This book was a joy to read. It had a great flow to it, and it was full of excitement. I loved that the book was written in rhyme. I know from personal experience that writing a story in rhyme can be difficult, but the author did a great job with this book. The rhyming patterns were kept consistent and gave the story an upbeat feel. It would be perfect to read out loud during story time.
Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was that there was a short story within it. The use of a story within a story was unique. I’ve seen very few book do this. I enjoyed that I got to read the book along with the characters instead of just reading a statement saying that they read it. My only complaint about the short story is that it ended kind of abruptly and didn't have a transition back into the original book. I understood that it had ended, but kids might get a little confused.
I also enjoyed the plot of this book. It reminded me a little bit of Toy Story, which was one of my favorite movies growing up. I’ve seen quite a few children’s books that do not have a complete plot, so I was impressed with the story line of this book. The level of development was perfect for preschool children. It was deep enough to interest them, but it didn’t get too complex. It was also easy for young children to relate to.
The only major problem I found with this book was that it was obvious that some of the pictures were photoshopped. They were all real-life photos, which I generally like better than illustrations. Unfortunately, these pictures looked awkward and kind of fake. The pictures made up half of the book, so this was a pretty big disappointment.
Overall, this was a cute children’s story. I definitely enjoyed reading it. If I were just rating the written aspect of it, I would definitely give this book a full four stars. It had a great flow and I didn’t notice a single mistake in grammar. However, the pictures could have been better. Because it is a children’s book, the pictures are important enough to drop my rating. I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. Even with the current pictures, I would still recommend this book to anyone who has children to read it with. It’s a great story to enjoy together.
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The Amazing Adventures of Polar And Hedge
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