How to Hatch a Reader

PreS-Gr 1--In this sunny, instructional story intended to highlight the importance of early reading practices, a young girl acts as a friendly teacher for a coop full of chickens on a farm, all of whom excitedly flock to learn how to read. A bright if brisk second-person narrator advises fluent readers to lead literacy activities stylized for at-home practice with young "chickens" in the early stages of their literacy development, including letter tracing, building vocabulary, and discovering books to enjoy. Gold, orange, and green textures playfully form the chickens' flapping wings, animated clucking, and the young farmer's amiable presence as the patient teacher with her group of wide-eyed chickens. The light tone and structure of the book introduces how learning to read is a rewarding process, showing vignettes of chickens engaged in different skills to illustrate literacy development as a process, from learning letter sounds to finding "common" words to acting out stories. However, discerning the most appreciative audience of this story may prove debatable; the aesthetic presentation appeals to emerging readers, while the directions seek to advise older readers about engaging teaching steps. The end page summarizes the book's suggestions for how parents may support readers' skills and offers three websites of digital resources that encourage early reading habits at home. VERDICT While the story is suited to a read-aloud and young children will enjoy the bright animated farmyard full of chickens learning to read, parents and guardians may find the most delight and support from the practical guidance this book offers about teaching emerging readers.--Rachel Mulligan

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

In this sunny, instructional story intended to highlight the importance of early reading practices, a young girl acts as a friendly teacher for a coop full of chickens on a farm, all of whom excitedly flock to learn how to read. A bright if brisk second-person narrator advises fluent readers to lead literacy activities stylized for at-home practice with young "chickens" in the early stages of their literacy development, including letter tracing, building vocabulary, and discovering books to enjoy. Gold, orange, and green textures playfully form the chickens' flapping wings, animated clucking, and the young farmer's amiable presence as the patient teacher with her group of wide-eyed chickens. The light tone and structure of the book introduces how learning to read is a rewarding process, showing vignettes of chickens engaged in different skills to illustrate literacy development as a process, from learning letter sounds to finding "common" words to acting out stories. However, discerning the most appreciative audience of this story may prove debatable; the aesthetic presentation appeals to emerging readers, while the directions seek to advise older readers about engaging teaching steps. The end page summarizes the book's suggestions for how parents may support readers' skills and offers three websites of digital resources that encourage early reading habits at home. VERDICT While the story is suited to a read-aloud and young children will enjoy the bright animated farmyard full of chickens learning to read, parents and guardians may find the most delight and support from the practical guidance this book offers about teaching emerging readers.
-Rachel Mulligan, School Library Journal