Dixie (I Can Read Book 1 Series)

by Grace Gilman, Sarah Mcconnell

Overview

Emma and her puppy, Dixie, are inseparable after-school friends.

But when Emma starts preparing for her class's production of The Wizard of Oz, Dixie feels left out. She wants to romp and play, but all Emma wants to do is memorize her lines in peace and quiet. Dixie does not understand.

Dixie, the mischievous puppy who is trying to be good, will be embraced by beginning readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061719141
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/07/2011
Series:	I Can Read Book 1 Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	200L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Grace Gilman is a former children's book editor. She lives in New York City.

Sarah McConnell grew up in the English countryside and spent her childhood drawing on every surface she could find. She now lives in Nottingham, England, with her partner, Rich, and an extremely mischievouscat named Kitten.

Editorial Reviews

An easy-to-read story about a little girl's dream of playing Dorothy with her own dog, Dixie, in the role of Toto.

Dixie is initially excited when Emma, her owner, is chosen to be the star of the school production ofThe Wizard of Oz. Anything that makes Emma happy makes Dixie happy. "All you have to do is follow me everywhere," Emma reassures the pup. That sounds perfect to the dog. When Dixie realizes that the play preparations are cutting into her Emma time, though, she retaliates by hiding with one of the ruby slippers, leaving Dorothy with no Toto and only one shoe. With very short sentences, ample white space and sight-word vocabulary, this will be accessible to the earliest readers. A straightforward, comforting plot, coupled with rich, full-color illustrations, adds appeal. Dixie's antics are particularly energetic—she runs in circles around the pages while Emma holds her red pigtails in exasperation. When Emma thinks all is lost, the illustration droops in empathy: Her fuzzy-bear slippers' faces frown; the picture on the wall shows Dixie walking away; and her stuffed animal dejectedly flops over the edge of the bed. The dog-and-girl friendship deepens as Emma realizes that her sweet Dixie is truly her best pal.

New readers looking for a good confidence builder should grab this one.(Early reader. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Emma and her dog Dixie are great friends. They snack together and play together, and Dixie is one happy dog. But one day, Emma comes home with a part in a play. She is going to try out to be Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Dixie has to be quiet while Emma learns her lines, and that is really hard for this exuberant dog. Emma wins the role and brings home a pair of red slippers. Now, she has to really spend time learning her lines. It is almost more than Dixie can bear—no play time and not much attention from Emma who is so busy learning her role. The desperate dog steals one of the ruby red slippers. His mistress is in despair—with no slipper, surely she will forget her lines. But Dixie wants her to be happy, so he retrieves the slipper. Then, it's showtime. Emma is on stage as Dorothy—and Dixie is there as her dog Toto. The illustrations give hints of the original motion picture, but the setting is mostly that of a modern young girl and her dog. The loose watercolor and pencil drawings work perfectly for the story. For parents, there is a note on the opening page. This book is identified as a Level 1 entry in the "I Can Read!" series, which means it has simple sentences for eager new readers. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot