My Very Big Little World: A SugarLoaf Book (Sugarloaf Books)
PreSchool-Grade 2–SugarLoaf, a precocious kittenlike child (or childlike kitten), eagerly introduces readers to her family. Her world is one that listeners will recognize as she shares with them what she considers to be important: how she got her name, where she falls in the family order, her favorite color, her parents' occupations, etc. Her running monologue is reminiscent of many children's egocentric conversational style and allows Reynolds to throw in a handful of lines that will tickle the funny bone of both young and adult readers. My mom is a dentist for boys and girls. I'm growing teeth for her to take care of. The genial story can be shared with youngsters or read by beginning readers since the text is comprised of short, easy-to-read sentences with plenty of visual clues provided by the art. The cartoon illustrations contribute to the fun, expanding on SugarLoaf's statements and often painting a picture entirely different than her words alone imply.–Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.