Hurry Up! (Tadpoles). Ann Bryant. Illustrated by Terry Pastor. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2011. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $7.95 (pbk.), $18.36 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-0591-8 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-0580-2 (RLB). Preschool-kindergarten / Ages 3-5. Review by Barb Taylor. **½ /4

Hurry Up!, a title in the "Tadpole" series for beginning readers, features a slow but contented tractor that ties up traffic for some impatient vehicles, including a car, van, taxi, truck, and passenger bus. The book's full-page colour illustrations are reminiscent of scenes from the popular children's television show, Thomas The Tank Engine. Each vehicle sports a face appropriate to its demeanor.

      The vocabulary is controlled. The beginning of the book features a list of common words, "at, not, up, oh, so , very, no, the, was", as well as words particular to the story, including " bus, car, corner, taxi."

      While the story, itself, is very simple, the authors have targeted a subject very popular with young children – cars. The vocabulary is simple enough that young readers can read the story independently.

      A simple puzzle page that encourages the reader to match illustrations follows the story. The purpose of this activity is not clear.

      While I don't find the story particularly outstanding, the story and illustrations are pleasant. I would recommend these books for a preschool audience, ages 3-5.

Recommended.

Barb Taylor, an elementary teacher-librarian and freelance travel writer, resides in Calgary, AB.

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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