Beginning and transitional 1 - See the Cat

 
   LaRochelle, David and illustrated by Wohnoutka, Mike. See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog. Candlewick Press, 2020. Ages 4-8

    Breaking the fourth wall, See the Cat tells three hilariously engaging stories about Max the dog. The cartoon style of illustrations accompanies the repetitive, rhythmic text, further helping readers understand the stories. Max, the yellow dog learns through out the three tales not only to cleverly use language, but to advocate for himself. In the first tale, Dog must remind the narrator about his identity. In the second, he must modify language in order to protect himself from snakes. Finally, Max must advocate and make the book see his worth in order to get some rest.

    Averaging 3-8 words per page, this work is a hilarious simple read is rated between a level two and level three. Pitting Max the dog against the narrator in a battle of wit and control, young readers will delight in Max's sass. Each story gets slightly more complex and the repetitive pattern of "See the blank" will allow young readers to practice reading out loud and identifying patterns. The language is balanced with the illustrations, but each story gets increasingly more complex with max regaining more control and rebelling against the narrator. This is a great choice for new readers to practice their sight words and read out louds which is sure to delight both kids and their adults.