Harry and the Horse. (Tadpoles). Sue Graves. Illustrated by Michael Garton. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2011. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $7.95 (pbk.), $18.36 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-0590-1 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-0579-6 (RLB). Subject Headings: Fairs-Fiction. Magic-Fiction. Kindergarten-grade 1 / Ages 5-6. Review by Barb Taylor. **½ /4

      While visiting a fair, Harry climbs on a carrousel horse named Magic. His friends watch in awe as Harry’s horse goes faster and faster, taking off “over the trees” and “under the sea.”

      Harry and the Horse is a “Level C” book aimed at beginning readers and is part of Crabtree’s “Tadpoles” reading series. As with other “Tadpole” books, there is a controlled vocabulary listed at the front of the book and an accompanying puzzle page following the story. There are also suggestions for guided reading of the story.

      The book chooses two popular subjects with young readers, horses and magic. The story is very basic, and the accompanying full-page illustrations are very bright and exciting. The illustrations follow the text, thereby giving the beginning reader good visual cues to the accompanying text.

      The publishers gear the interest level at grades 1-3, but I think this book would be more appropriate for a preschool – grade 1 audience.

      I would recommend this book as a read-aloud book for very young students.

Recommended.

Barb Taylor is an Alberta-based elementary teacher-librarian and freelance travel writer.

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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