________________ CM . . . . Volume XIX Number 6 . . . . October 12, 2012

cover

Farmer Joe Baby-Sits. (Developing Readers Level 2).

Nancy Wilcox Richards. Illustrated by Werner Zimmermann.
Toronto, ON: Scholastic Canada, 1997/2012.
22 pp., pbk., $4.99.
ISBN 978-1-4431-1377-9.

Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7.

Review by John Dryden.

*** /4

excerpt:

Today was a special day.
Farmer Joe was going to baby sit Jennifer.

Farmer Joe had never done any baby sitting before in his whole life!

 

Farmer Joe babysits little Jennifer, and a note from Jennifer’s mother has a few tips, with the most important one being to make sure Jennifer has her blanket in order for her to have a nap. Farmer Joe and the youngster have a great day, but when it comes time to nap – OH NO! – the blanket is missing! A great search ensues, but Farmer Joe cannot find it. Jennifer does nap due to her exhaustion from farming, and, as fate would have it, her blanket is returned.

internal art   This book, a reprint of Farmer Joe Baby-Sits in 'reader' format, is still an excellent book. Nancy Wilcox Richards and Werner Zimmermann have a good chemistry in this series.

     One drawback is the loss of quality in the illustrations compared to the original (larger) paperback copy. One fun thing for children to do with Farmer Joe Baby-Sits is to examine the illustrations and to try to find out where the red blanket is. This quest proves to be difficult in some of the illustrations due to quality loss. This is too bad because the pictures are so very well done and such detail has been poured into them by Zimmermann.

     I really enjoy the Farmer Joe series and was pleasantly surprised to see this 'reader' format. If you cannot find an original version of this book, don't despair as the book will be enjoyed by all who read it.
     

Recommended.

John Dryden is a teacher and teacher-librarian in North Cowichan, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - October 12, 2012.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME