Fun! The sound of short U

PreS-Gr 1-Large, bold black type makes these books easy on beginner readers' eyes. The visuals are strong: brightly hued page borders, text set in stark relief on white against vivid background colors, and crisply reproduced, child-friendly photos depicting adorable animals and a cast of delightful multicultural kids engaged in familiar activities. Except in Cute! and Smiles, the text generally serves as captions for the images rather than as stories per se. Children won't mind, though. They'll meet with reading success here, as the simple, often rhyming sentences so closely correspond to the referent photos. Targeted vowel sounds are repeated often. Each title concludes with a list of words containing the specific sound and an identical "Note to Parents and Educators." VERDICT A fine introductory series for new readers. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Each dull primer features loosely connected sentences, one per spread, that incorporate examples of the featured vowel sound (e.g., "I like to smile" in Long I). Vowel-sound words are not highlighted in the text; a vaguely labeled "Word List" is appended. Bright full-page photos and sight words make the books accessible to new readers. There are five other fall 2015 books in this series. [Review covers these Long and Short Vowels titles: On the Boat, Ten Pets, Fun!, Play Day, and Smiles.] (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.