Watch Out, William! (I Am Reading)
Grade 1-2–Beginning readers will enjoy the clear writing and clever plotting in these stories narrated by William about him and his younger sister. In the first chapter, Jane proves that while she may be smaller, she is stronger. Next, William joins the family in a search for Jane's lost doll, and to appease her he pretends to be a doll and allows her to feed him, comb his hair, and put him down for a nap. As he stretches out on the couch, the lost toy is found. Finally, Jane is frustrated because William needs a bath and none of the adults will make him take one. Readers may chuckle as Jane induces him to get into the tub, and compare this chapter to a scenario in Jean Van Leeuwen'sAmanda Pig and Her Brother Oliver(Puffin, 1994). Denton's cheerful and expressive illustrations perfectly capture the relationship between these characters. William may be every girl's dream of a big brother rather than a realistic sibling, but fans of family stories such as Stephen Krensky'sLionel and Louise(Puffin, 1997) will feel right at home with him.–Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.