Sam Who Never Forgets

Rating:
Summary: 3 month old LOVED it
Review: My infant son (now ten) absolutely adored this book, I guess maybe at least partly because of the bright colors. He would stare and stare and get all excited and giggly. And later he liked the story too. Not much of a story from an adult perspective, but boy oh boy does the author have a line to the hearts of the very small. I treasure our beaten and slobbered on old copy of this book like his hospital ID bracelet.

Rating:
Summary: Fun and Enjoyable
Review: Sam Who Never Forgets By: Eve Rice

Sam is a zookeeper in charge of feeding the animals. Everyday at lunchtime Sam fills him wagon with food and sets off to care for the animals. Sam never forgets to feed the Giraffe, the Monkeys and all his other friends along the way. Sam's wagon is now empty but one animal is still hungry. Could it be that Sam has forgotten the elephant? How ironic, the elephant that never forgets remembers that she is still hungry. No worries, Sam never ever forgets he is on his way with a whole wagon full of hay just for elephant.

Sam Who Never Forgets is a great book for a younger crowd the pictures correspond well with the text, which gives children a clear picture. The art is plain and simple with bright colors. There is the appropriate amount of detail for young eyes; too much detail may pull their minds away from the story. The interpretation of the pictures is executed well. Rice shows a picture directly correlated with the text on the same page. Personification is another factor of Rice's book that will gain children's attention. According to Norton "..personification will help to introduce style to children..... personification is often reinforced through the illustrations." Rice shows the personified animals through both the text and the picture. The monkeys show their gratitude for their lunch by saying, "Splendid, Sam never forgets." Their thankfulness is further enforced by the smiles on their faces and bright eyes. The same theme is continued through the book until Sam seems to have forgotten the elephant. She is sad so she is drawn with a frown and droopy eyes. Showing animals with different expression helps children to understand body language. According to Caldecott terms for criteria, Rice's book meets all the qualifications. Her artistic technique is effective and done well for the target age. The pictures follow a theme and help to clarify the setting of the story. Rice's book does not need any other forms of media to be enjoyed, accept maybe a grown-up if the little one is unable to read. Overall, the book is a definite picture book. It is comprised mostly of pictures, which are enhanced by the text.

Rating:
Summary: Never forget this one
Review: This is a very cute story with a moderate amount of predictability. The most difficult word is "deliciously" which would be a challenge for first grader, but could be accomplished with some assistance. The illustrations are simple, but clearly convey meaning while not crowding the text. The relationship between text and pictures is very good - the picture matches the text so that the reader can use it to help decode words. With short pages, short sentences, and only a few trouble words, this book lends itself to being used for a Running Record in Kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms. It is a complete beginner's book that young students can read on their own that does still have a real plot. Because Sam is a zookeeper and there are lots of animals in the story, that may help to arouse interest.

Why 4 stars?:
This is a nice beginner's book for those children just learning to read. It is a nice size for little hands to hold. The text is large, but does not crowd the pictures or vice versa.

Rating:
Summary: Never forget this one
Review: This is a very cute story with a moderate amount of predictability. The most difficult word is "deliciously" which would be a challenge for first grader, but could be accomplished with some assistance. The illustrations are simple, but clearly convey meaning while not crowding the text. The relationship between text and pictures is very good - the picture matches the text so that the reader can use it to help decode words. With short pages, short sentences, and only a few trouble words, this book lends itself to being used for a Running Record in Kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms. It is a complete beginner's book that young students can read on their own that does still have a real plot. Because Sam is a zookeeper and there are lots of animals in the story, that may help to arouse interest.

Why 4 stars?:
This is a nice beginner's book for those children just learning to read. It is a nice size for little hands to hold. The text is large, but does not crowd the pictures or vice versa.