Funny & easy: two beginning reader series (ages 4-6)

Beginning to read is a daunting task -- kids and parents feel the pressure. Please know that sharing books together is the most important thing. Model reading, talk about books, invite your children to try with you. Above all, try to make it fun. That's why I love these two series of books for beginning readers--they're silly, they have good stories, and they use just a few words on each page.

The Adventures of Otto:
Go, Otto, Go! // Swing, Otto, Swing! // See Pip Point
by David Milgrim
preview on Overdrive (with read-along narration)
Simon Spotlight, 2016
Amazon / Your local library
ages 4-6

Otto is a lovable robot, trying to figure out how to get along here on Earth. He tries to build a robot to fly home: "Work, Otto, work." Milgrim does a terrific job using only two or three words on a page to convey what's happening, with repetition that flows naturally. 

"Work, Otto, work"

Otto always ends up getting in trouble, bringing lots of giggles to young readers. In Swing, Otto, Swing, he tries to fly from tree to tree like his monkey friends. Somehow, it's much harder than it looks.

If you like the goofy adventures of Otto, you might also like Big Dog and Little Dog beginning readers by Dav Pilkey. These two goofy friends get into all sorts of mischief.

Big Dog and Little Dog // Getting in Trouble // Making a Mistake
by Dav Pilkey
Green Light Readers / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1997
Amazon / Your local library
ages 4-6

Big Dog and Little Dog want to play, like any two friends. "But there is nothing to play with. What will they play with?" They start playing with the couch, but that soon turns into a game of tug-of-war. Uh, oh. They keep just getting into trouble! Pilkey uses simple sentences and bold drawings that move the action along.

If you have a dog that's ever met a skunk, you'll laugh as these friends find out just how awful a skunk can smell. "Big Dog thinks it is a kitty. Sssssss. But it does not smell like a kitty." These relatable situations are perfect for young readers.

I'm happy to join friends at Kid Lit Frenzy and Mrs. Knott's Bookshelf in celebrating the #Road2Reading. As they write, "All journeys have a starting place. This is a weekly place to find books and tools that you may use with readers at the start of their reading journey."

The review copies for The Adventures of Otto were kindly sent by the publisher, Simon & Schuster. The review copies of Big Dog and Little Dog came from my home library. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books