Review by link2brian -- Puffy and the Formidable Foe

[link2brian]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Puffy and the Formidable Foe" by Marie Lepkowski and Ann Marie Hannon.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Puffy and the Formidable Foe by Marie G. Lepkowski, Ann M. Hannon, and Margaret B. Hannon reminds me of the plethora of Aesop and other fables that my generation grew up having read to us as children. It is colorful. There is a simple story and, of course, a moral or lesson in the story. The suggested uses at the beginning of the book are a great aid to parents wanting to know how to follow up with their children after reading the book. As the authors state, “This book is an interactive learning tool that may be used in a variety of ways.” I expect to carry a copy of this book with me for “reading time” when I next visit my grandchildren.

The book is easy to read and short in length (10 pages of two sentences each) . One should have no problem maintaining a child's attention while reading it to them. The almost child-like illustrations (that appear drawn and colored either with crayons or felt markers) are refreshing and likely will be welcomed by children. However, I found the drawing of “mushroom hoods” on page 9 looking like pieces of rock or coal on the ground than mushroom caps. The reader will have to point them out as they read that passage or I suspect that the child will have no idea what the words are referring to in the illustration, if they even know what a “mushroom hood” is prior to the story. If there is a revision, I would suggest some alteration of the illustration on this page (and not shading in the trees on the “coloring page” at the end of the book).

I rate the book a 4 out of 4 stars with one small caveat – do not expect to pick up this book to read it to a child without some preparation. The prospective reader (whether it be a parent, grandparent, or teacher) should be ready to spend some time reading the book more than once prior to sharing it with a child. A couple of readings will help insure fluid reading and pronunciation. You don't want to be stumbling when you are reading to a child and a couple of the sentences caught me the first time I read them. You also will want to use a couple of readings in light of the suggested uses of the book provided by the authors. For example, if you choose to read it to emphasize that the sentences on each page end with a word that rhymes with the word at the end of the other sentence, you may want to make sure that you emphasize the rhyming words as you read and consider stopping on each page to work with the child on that skill – recognizing rhymes – as opposed to justing reading straight through the story. Similarly, if you are reading it for “the moral of the story” - which I believe is “things aren't always as they seem” - be prepared to explain it and how it fits into the child's life.

For all the positives, I did have two small issues with the recommendations for using the book. One must request a list, albeit free, from the authors of the BIG WORDS in the book for use in vocabulary development. As directed in the front of the book, I sent an email requesting the BIG WORD list. It would have been nice for the list to have been included with the book. Also, on a similar vein, I found nothing in the book to identify the age of the children to whom the authors intended for this book to be read. As I prepare to take it with me to read to my grandchildren, it would help to know which of them might not be ready for the vocabulary level in the book.

If you want a fresh, short and easy to read fable for your child, grandchild or student, this book is a great place to start.

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Puffy and the Formidable Foe
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[NL Hartje]

I found the drawing of “mushroom hoods” on page 9 looking like pieces of rock or coal on the ground than mushroom caps.

I agree! I specifically remember noting that while reading.

For me, this book scored highly for rhyming and offering the parental discussion syllabus. I was disappointed, however, with Puffy's portrayal. He was illustrated differently on most pages. Some pages he had eyelashes; some pages he did not. Some pages he had a pink nose, whereas on others it was grey or white.

Did any of you notice this? I only rated the book 3/4. Do you think the differing Puffys warranted negative impact on the score?

My review here:
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