Review: The joys of reading to children
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2013
Ronnie James is basing his Adventures of Blue series of books on his own pet dog who has inspired them. From the success of this, the first installment in what we can hope will be a continuing series, he seems to have struck a cord not only with providing fun adventure stories of children, but well balanced enjoyable tales for adults to also enjoy while reading to youngsters.Blue is a happy dog who daily goes out for new adventures. Noting that Blue's collar is wearing out his family decides to buy him a new one. The funny old shopkeeper sells them a sparkly blue collar - but warns them he has been told it is Magic!Blue is off an adventure in his new magic blue color, comes to a river were he spies strawberries on the other side. Fearful that he doesn't swim well, Blue hears a magic voice of instructions, dives in, and finds that not only can he swim, but he can also swim underwater and encounters a classroom of fishes, and old newt who lives under a rock and introduces Blue to another new opportunity - meeting Sally the Seahorse. Blue's new magic collar has enabled him to extend his adventures to life below the surface of the water!Ronnie James writes his stories punctuated with interactive images that allow children to visually explore each now phase of the adventure. The story is worth reading again and again as children will sort out new aspects of the story with each new reading, and have even more fun as they get to know Blue and his adventuresome spirit even better. Pamela Page provides the fine illustrations. Grady Harp, July 13