Who am I?
Who am I?
9781922326867
9781922326874
9781922326850
9781922326881
Liv Wan
Catch-a-Star, 2024
12pp., board book, RRP $A14.99
One of the key strategies used in teaching our little ones to read is to have them immerse themselves in the context so they can predict what might happen, and to do this they need to have context-specific vocabulary at their fingerprints. For example, if the story’s setting is the ocean they are more likely to be thinking fish, sharks, dolphins and mermaids than lions, giraffes, elephants and zebras.
Thus series like these which introduce them to context-specific words play a vital role in developing those early reading behaviours, particularly when they invite the reader to actively engage with them through their format. Grouped under titles of Pets, Jungle, Farm and Winter, each page offers a simple clue, a question and a lift-the-flap to see if the response is right. The bright, bold illustrations provide the setting so the child can focus their thoughts on what the creature is likely to be and this, combined with gentle coaxing from the adult can lead to a successful guess that not only provides a positive interaction with the book but helps the little one understand that they, too, can be a reader.
Catch A Star continues to recognise the need for even our youngest readers to have engaging stories that are sturdy enough in their own hands so they can mimic the reading of those who read to them, a critical step in becoming a reader, and this series is no exception. Reading is a complex activity that requires a variety of strategies, not the least of which is the expectation that the little one can and will be a reader, and engaging stories that help build those early reading behaviours and concepts about print are an essential in any parent’s toolkit.