Sam Gets Lost. (Kids Can Read). Mary Labatt. Illustrated by Marisol Sarrazin. Toronto, ON: Kids Can, 2004. 32 pp., pbk. & cl., $5.95 (pbk.), $14.95 (cl.). ISBN 1-55337-563-7 (pbk.), ISBN 1-55337-562-9 (cl.). Subject Heading: Dogs-Juvenile fiction. Kindergarten-grade 1 / Ages 5-6. Review by Stephanie Yamniuk. *** /4
	Sam Goes to School. (Kids Can Read). Mary Labatt. Illustrated by Marisol Sarrazin. Toronto, ON: Kids Can, 2004. 32 pp., pbk. & cl., $5.95 (pbk.), $14.95 (cl.). ISBN 1-55337-565-3 (pbk.), ISBN 1-55337-564-5 (cl.). Subject Headings: Dogs-Juvenile fiction. Schools-Juvenile fiction. Kindergarten-grade 1 / Ages 5-6. Review by Stephanie Yamniuk. *** /4

excerpt:

The kids went into the school. Bump, bump, bump, went Sam inside the backpack. The girl opened the backpack. "Stay here, puppy," she said. "Here is a cookie." "Yum," thought Sam. "School is fun."

The "Puppy Sam" books have been written especially for the beginning reader as part of the "Kids Can Read" series which introduces kids to reading at three different levels. The short stories, easy vocabulary, simple visual clues and lots of repetition place these titles in the Level 1 category.

Level 1: Kids Can Start to Read

Short stories, simple sentences, easy vocabulary, lots of repetition and visual clues for kids just beginning to read.

     In Sam Gets Lost, Sam sneaks out of the back seat of Joan and Bob's convertible to do some exploring. After creating excitement on downtown sidewalks and losing track of Joan and Bob, Sam is finally reunited with her owners. Sam doesn't believe she was lost at all - Joan and Bob were!

     In Sam Goes to School, Sam, who is always in search of adventure, sneaks onto a school bus. A couple of school kids discover Sam, and they smuggle the puppy into their classroom where they hope to keep her hidden. Never one to miss out on all the fun, however, Sam is soon causing mayhem, chewing books and walking over students' wet paintings.

     The books' format includes 32 pages of four-color adventures, and the books are sized for little hands at 6" x 9". They could easily be read to a 3 to 4-year-old, but the books are better suited for kids in kindergarten and first grade.

     I recommend this pair of book for their repetition of words and the enjoyable watercolour pictures that follow the antics of the beloved puppy named Sam.

Stephanie Yamniuk has her master's degree in English and works at the University of Manitoba.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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