School of monsters: Snell's show and tell by Sally Rippin. Illus. by Chris Kennett

 It’s Show and Tell time in the classroom and everyone is eager to show their classmates what they have brought to school. Heti and Greg have a very big egg while Bill and Ben have a musical instrument.  When the teacher Kim calls up Snell, she finds it very hard to come out of her shell. Her heart beats fast and her words are too slow. Kim tells her not to worry and to show what she has at the end of the day. And what a lovely surprise it is, one that makes all her classmates feel wonderful.

This early reader is a great example of a well-illustrated book that will appeal to children who are just beginning to learn to read. Not only does it make a point of showing children that it is OK to be slow, overcoming nerves, while taking their time to do something, the large black print is perfect for early readers and the colourful, humorous illustrations complement the text. It is also designed to be used with an adult reading aloud, with rhyming words at the end of sentences in a different colour, helping a child to guess what the word is.

At the end of the book are sections of 'New Words to Learn' and 'How to draw Snell', as well as a section showing adults 'How to Use This Book'. It an ideal first reader to use at home and to have in a class library.

Themes: Early reader, Monsters, Overcoming nerves, Persistence.

Pat Pledger