Reviewer Conny Withay:Operating her own business in office management since 1991, Conny is an avid reader and volunteers with the elderly playing her designed The Write Word Game. A cum laude graduate with a degree in art living in the Pacific Northwest, she is married with two sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren.
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Author: Denise L. Jenne
Illustrator: Julie
Iannone
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 978-1514657485
“Toys
down. Pick up.
Water filling up. Boat sinking down.
Read up.
Eyelids down.
Sun down. Moon up,”
Denise L. Jenne writes in
her children’s book, Annalise’s Up and Down Day.
This
twenty-eight-page paperback targets children ages three to seven
years old or those learning to read. With no scary scenes, it is a
story about one day in the life of Annalise, a three-year-old girl.
With the book opening vertically instead of horizontally, the pages
are covered with bright, colorful illustrations that match the
storyline.
Using a simplistic pattern of wording, when the sun
comes up, Annalise gets out of bed and wakes up her father. After
breakfast, getting dressed, and playing with blocks, the young girl
goes outside and notices nature as she goes to the park and plays.
When the clouds come and bring rain, she returns inside, has lunch,
paints, and picks up her toys. When bath time is over, she falls
asleep before the sun goes down. Each page in the story shows the
relationship of up and down the little girl experiences throughout
the day.
This is a cute, innocuous tale that teaches young
readers to observe their surroundings by noticing what is up and what
is down and why. I like that it focuses mainly on two words and their
concepts instead of many topics at one time.
There are a few
two and three syllable words that beginner readers will not be able
to read by themselves. However, the repetitive words in the book such
as up and down will promote good reading skills.
Having
taught at state and online universities for over thirty years, Dr.
Jenne has published books in the Criminal Justice field. With this
book dedicated to her great-niece, it is her first children’s
story. Illustrator Iannone has a degree in Art Education from
Montclair State University and maintains an Etsy shop.
I wish
some of the multi-syllable words were not as complicated for beginner
readers and simpler words were used instead.
If you wish to
show a child the difference between up and down and its concepts,
this entry-level book is a good way to do it.
Thanks to
Bookpleasures and the author for offering this book to review for my
honest opinion.