November 1, 2023
PreS-K-JJ, TomTom, and YoYo are excited for their balloon boat race today. Once they have their materials ready, the siblings inflate their balloons and watch as their boats travel from one end of the pool to the other. First, YoYo's boat wins, then TomTom's boat wins, then everyone makes slight adjustments to their boats for an exciting conclusion to race day. This emerging reader text is ideally suited to fans of the CoComelon franchise. Images of the beloved characters are the featured element of the story, and young children will love observing as their friends transition from their screens to the print book. At the beginning of the text, readers are provided with a list of the words used throughout the narrative to allow them to become comfortable with and prepared for what lies ahead. This front matter includes the characters' names, word families used in the story, and sight words readers can expect to find. Within the book, some pages include a full multi-word sentence, while others have no words at all. This design both challenges fledgling readers and provides them with a visual respite from one segment to the next. Comprehension questions at the end encourage reflection and working memory related to the overall plot. VERDICT A charming and accessible tale for emerging readers who enjoy the look and feel of the CoComelon franchise.-Mary Lanni
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