FICTION

May’s Big Messy Family!: Ready-to-Read Level 1

by A.T Woehling (text) & illus. by Felicia Whaley
S. & S./Simon Spotlight. (All About May). May 2024. 32p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781665942850; pap. $4.99. ISBN 9781665942843.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1–May’s large and diverse family includes eight children of varying races, sizes, and genders; two parents, whose faces are obscured each time they appear; and a very large dog named Mabel. May and her siblings move from one mess to the next: making pancakes, playing in muddy puddles, and taking a soapy, messy bath. Simple rhyme patterns as well as repetitive phrasing (“We are just a mess!”) will help young readers predict the text. Onomatopoeia engages readers with sound effects, including “Smash!,” “Thud!,” “Crash!,” and “Pop!” Finally, May’s family finds rest at bedtime, when May declares, “But this is our mess...and our mess is best!”
VERDICT Well-spaced text and muted illustrations add to each of the children’s boisterous personalities. Young readers will want to learn more about the large cast of characters.
Reviewed by Jamie Jensen , Apr 26, 2024

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