3, 2, 1, Go!

Starred review from March 1, 2015
In the newest of her early readers, McCully (Little Ducks Go, 2014) nails a common childhood scenario: a twosome is playing school and won't let a third play. Ann is the bossy rule-setter, naturally the "teacher." Bess is a follower. Less enthusiastic, she agrees to be the student. Min is the odd girl out-but bright and creative. When Ann says Min can't step across the line she draws in the sand, Min appears to acquiesce. McCully takes an unusual but useful approach when she depicts the characters as juvenile elephants on the savannah, for Min is not just strong-willed, but strong. Min begins gathering materials for a project-a rock, a board, a tube, some rope-all clearly delineated in the illustrations, making it easy for youngsters to successfully "read" the correct words and phrases. Anticipation mounts as curiosity grows. What is Min building? A rocket with a seesaw launch, allowing her to cross the line by flying over it! Impressed, Bess suggests they play rocket scientists, and although the end is a bit ambiguous, it appears all three will join in. Young readers will want to, too; and while adults won't want children trying this trick at home, they may well want to replicate a smaller model for a physics lesson. A sure hit. (Early reader. 3-8)

March 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-When elephants Ann and Bess play school, Ann makes it quite clear that younger Min is not welcome. "'This is a school zone Min....Here is the line, ' said Ann. ' You may not step over it.'" Clever Min is not deterred. She promptly begins gathering materials-board, rocks, a big tube, a rope, and a helmet. Before long, Min has engineered a rocket with a seesaw delivery system (Wile E. Coyote-style) that, much to Ann's dismay, takes her right into the school zone. "'Hi!' said Min. "I didn't step over the line. I flew over it.'" The text uses contractions, simple words, and also some challenging terms such as "scientist." The pen and ink with watercolor illustrations clearly depict the action and follow the text. They provide just the right amount of detail, expression, and white space to help new readers along. VERDICT This easy reader is sure to be well liked by siblings, regardless of their birth order.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Preschool-G Elephants Ann and Bess are playing school when Min attempts to join them. This is a school zone, Min, says Ann. School is hard. You are not ready. Ann then draws an imaginary line around their play area, informing Min, You may not step over it. Undeterred, Min pursues a project of her owndesigning, constructing, and flying a working rocket that propels her into the play area. Hi! says Min. I didn't step over the line. I flew over it. McCully's latest contribution to the I Like to Read series (Little Ducks Go, 2014) features a kid-recognizable problem, sympathetic characters, and a humorously handled, clever solution. McCully's signature pen-and-ink with watercolor illustrations appear throughoutsome as inset drawings and others as double-page spreads. They convey every step of Min's experiment and are positioned to assist beginning readers in predicting unfamiliar text. The large typeface (often placed against a white background) is also a plus. This succeeds both as entertainment and instruction; the pachyderms' social interactions and STEM content are a delightful bonus.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Elephants Ann and Bess want to play school. Min wants to play, too, but Ann tells her not to "step over" the line into their "school zone." In a twist new readers will appreciate, clever Min builds her own rocket and flies over the line instead. Pen-and-ink and watercolor art uses earth tones for landscape and pops of color to highlight the characters.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)