Jennifer Bové

Part of the Ranger Rick series of early readers, I Wish I Was Gorilla asks questions about what your life would be like as a mountain gorilla: what would you eat, where would you sleep, etc. The text is not easy, words like African rainforest, silverback, and even gorilla are not what I consider level 1, but there are only a few sentences per page and some thing can be inferred from the gorgeous photographs which form a spread across facing pages. While I'm not sure the books are helpful for very beginner readers, they are a good introduction to gorillas and their life in their rainforest habitat. At the end are fun facts, a recipe for ants on a log, and a five word glossary.… (mehr)

I think I have gotten all the llama easy readers. So far. This is part of Ranger Rick's I wish I was... series, so it has a specific layout.

It starts out asking the reader if they wished they were a llama - or perhaps the llama's wild relative, the guanaco. The book compares the two animals, explaining where and how they live, what they eat, and their family structure. These are all through the lens of the human reader, so it asks what you would eat if you were a llama, where you would live, and how you would sleep. Along the way, the Ranger Rick raccoon icon shows up and asks questions. For example, when llamas are shown carrying burdens, it asks if readers have a backpack.

The book ends with a quick summary - while it would be fun to be a llama for a while, you wouldn't want to chew your cud, roll in the dust, or spit so it's a good thing you are yourself! There's some further information about llamas, a little game to tell the different relatives apart, and a link for more information on the Ranger Rick website. I Can Read calls this a level one, but it has an F&P level of L which puts it firmly in the fluent reader section of my easy readers, with a green sticker. The more complex vocabulary is sounded out in syllables, but it still has lots of unfamiliar words and longer sentences.

Verdict: Readers who like true animal stories, especially the National Geographic easy readers, enjoy this series and they have a nice variety of animals, from butterflies to bison, available. For those llama fans, this will be a fun addition to your collection.

ISBN: 9780062432292; Published March 2020 by HarperCollins; Purchased for the library… (mehr)

Ranger Rick, I Wish I Was a Wolf introduces younger readers to basic information about wolves. The book is divided into short sections that begin with a question. Each section includes color photographs of wolves participating in various activities and the sections do not have to be read in order. In the back of the book, the reader will find a “Did You Know” section that includes fascinating facts about wolves and a “Fun Zone” that encourages the reader to extend the learning with listening activities and games. The large font and simple vocabulary that is easy to sound out will help younger readers as they try to read on their own. The short length of I Wish I Was a Wolf, only 32 pages, allows leaders to read it out loud to a group of children ages 4-7 without the group losing patience.… (mehr)