*See the Cat: Three stories about a dog

A dog on a rug is quite understandably aggravated by the narrative narrator through three very short stories for beginning readers. Brilliant, clever, and hilarious.

See the Cat: Three stories about a dog by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. Candlewick, 64 pages.

Reading Level: Easy readers, ages 4-8

Recommended For: Ages 4-8

Last August, I invested in a good phonics-based reading curriculum to help my six-year-old son learn to read. His three older brothers had developed their skills naturally, but my fourth son needed a bit more help and encouragement. So we used tiles, cards, worksheets, and M&Ms for incentives, but the joy wasn’t there. His 4yo brother was more eager to practice reading and it didn’t seem like we were making much progress.

After a couple of months I put away the curriculum and informed my son that we would be reading one book of his choice each day. Okay, it’s been only a couple of times a week on average, and we’ve mostly been reading Elephant and Piggie books that he’s practically memorized, but the spark is igniting and he’s happy to sit down and practice reading. That’s the goal, right?

Today we discovered a new favorite book at his reading level that just won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award.

I sat down with my fledgling reader and three of his brothers promptly piled around us on the couch. From the first page, See the Cat is perfect.

A dog on a rug is quite understandably aggravated by the observations and instructions of the narrator through three very short chapters. I’ve never seen such liveliness visually contained within the area of a small rug! I can’t say too much more without giving away the twists that appear on every page. Just get the book. You won’t be disappointed.

First of all, it’s brilliant. Books that appeal to young readers who are slowly building their confidence, especially boys, ought to be clever and hilarious, and See the Cat gets a high-five. We were still laughing through the second reading, and again at bedtime when the four-year-old tried to explain it to Daddy.

Second, most of the words are short and repeated. There are some less familiar words (which might already be familiar if the Elephant and Piggie books are in your repertoire), but most of them are quickly recognized.

What other titles can you use with a beginning reader who would rather learn from stories?

Books that are highly visual and have only a few words per page help to build a new reader’s confidence. Some of our favorites include Go Dogs, Go!, the Elephant and Piggie series, and Fly Guy books.

For a bit more of a challenge, you could add ONE page a day from a more challenging easy reader like The Cat in the Hat in addition to reading a book at the child’s level. Practice and consistency are key. Give them a few seconds to study words and try to recognize them, but help them as much as they need. If they are truly frustrated or resisting your efforts, drop the lessons for a couple months. Whether or not the lessons are happening, YOU keep reading aloud and be patient.

And did I mention that you ought to get your hands on See the Cat post haste? Let us know how you like it!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 5 out of 5

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• More easy readers! Librarians list Easy/Leveled readers part 1 and Easy Readers part 2.
• How do you encourage and motivate a beginning reader? Here are some ideas. Nurturing a young reader’s literary taste

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A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.