ENJOYING LANGUAGE: HELPING CHILDREN READ AND WRITE Innes, Marie Calgary, Braun & Braun Educational Enterprises, 1990. 104pp, paper, $14.00, ISBN 0-9690605-7-2. Distributed by Braun & Braun Educational Enterprises Ltd., 1245 Varsity Estates Road, Calgary, Alta. T3B 2W3. CIP Professional Reviewed by Gwen Maguire Volume 18 Number 5 1990 September This is a language arts activity book written for pre-school and Primary classroom teachers that fosters the development of a child-oriented literacy environment. Innes identifies the following four major characteristics of this environment: 1) freedom to encourage children to try out new ideas; 2) ownership of thoughts and language, which are valued to exist and grow; 3) opportunities for each child to experience a variety of communication styles and formats; and 4) encouragement of analytical and reflective thinking and response to literature. Each of these characteristics is described in detail and the author provides many illustrated suggestions and ideas to enhance and develop these characteristics. Some of the features include puppetry, readers' theatre (which includes an adapted script of "The Gingerbread Boy"), prediction activities, collaborative writing, tape-recorded reading, communication formats, pocket charts, group fun with stories and poems, an appreciation of different writing styles, and an evaluation form. There is also a sample unit plan on the book The Mean Hyena (New York: Greenwillow Books, 1978) and appendices, which include directions for making puppets, patterns, and various other items. Any pre-school or Primary teacher would find this book a very useful guide to introducing young children to literacy learning. Most of the activities are based on a holistic approach to teaching reading and writing. Although the author explained her philosophy of language in the introduction, I felt that Innes should have presented the research to back up her stance. This book contains many excellent ideas and activities for whole language learning that would interest and motivate any young child to listen, speak, read and write. Gwen Maguire, St. John's, Nfld.