A little boy explains to Mama Slug how to teach Little Slug to read. Here are a few of his reading rules: Attach labels to Little Slug’s favorite things; Read out loud to him; Point out words that repeat; Sound out words; Make a vocabulary list; Be patient! And, of course, it helps if Little Slug can see the book, so prop it up and set him on a rock! David Slonim’s hilarious acrylic and charcoal illustrations and Susan Pearson’s witty text show that reading can be fun!
Offers practical advice for teaching a young slug to read (applicable also to young humans!) including: labeling the slug’s favorite things (with words, so it can get familiar with them), selecting good books (find some with lots of slugs in them to add interest), make sure the slug can see the book (pictures and words), point out repeating words so the slug can identify them, help with pronunciation, make lists of new vocabulary, underline favorite words (in slime), practice, and be patient. Soon your slug will love to read, will read to you, and will be able to explore whole new worlds through books! Humorous text and illustrations will have adults and kids laughing out loud as they read this together (several popular children’s books and rhymes have been slugified for our entertainment). I’ve never personally seen a mommy slug with huge eyelashes and lipstick, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist! Fun introduction to reading.
Excerpt: Find a rock for your slug to sit on so he can see the page better. Be patient. It will take your slug some time to climb up on the rock.
This is a book my kids (ages3 and 6) asked for again. I really liked this book. It was funny and engaging for my daughter and my son was able to easily read it himself and understand all of the steps. The slug follows as similar path as my Kindergartner learning how to read, so that made it fun for all of us.
Unlike Slugs in Love, these pictures were silly and cartoony enough to overcome the grossness of slugs. Their little slug faces evoked a much wider span of emotions to make the characters relateable and funny. Personally, I loved every time their antenna poked out above a hat! Real suggestions to parents are given in slug terms for helping your child learn to read. Very reminiscent of Read to Your Bunny, which is still the better book, but more geared toward younger bunnies. This would appeal to 5-8 year old male slugs especially!
Super cute, yet full of practical advice for teaching slugs (and human kids) to read. I want to give this book to every parent who's come to me looking for a magical teach-my-kid-to-read solution.
Just in time for slug and snail story time this morning! This is a great book for parents and kids about learning how to read. It is full of smart ideas for parents but is still a successful, humorous story. Mama and son slug start off reading a book of nursery rhymes that have had slugs added to them ("Mary had a little slug, /His skin was smooth as silk") and there's a two page spread of classic children's titles that have been "adapted" ("Go, Slug, Go!", "The Snail in the Hat"). And in case anyone is left wondering why to teach your child to read: "Books will teach him how to play slug soccer. Books will show him slugs in other lands. Books will show him the whole wide world."
In describing how one would go about teaching a slug how to read, Pearson cleverly describes here how to teach children to read. I loved the large, colorful illustrations, and noticed that other bugs started to join in the story times. The types of texts slug reads are cute too, all slug-related, like the version of "Little Miss Muffet" with a slug instead of a spider. (And, believe it or not, I didn't know that "curds and whey" meant cottage cheese, so I learned something!) I can see a parent reading this and getting pointers on how to help his/her child learn to read. Very clever indeed! Recommended to both people and slugs!
I think this is my new favorite picture book! It is clever, witty, delightful, useful and engaging! I have to try it with some kids, but for those of us in the Early Literacy Biz, this book as all the best tips in it! Love! More sophisticated readers will enjoy pouring over the illustrations for hidden humor and meaning, while the simplest reading will evoke joy and laughter.
Fun pictures and the tips used to teach a slug to read are remarkably like those used to teach children to read. The plays on the titles of books and the one lines from books are fun - probably more for the adults enjoyment then the children.
I Love, Love, Love this learning to read book. Teaching points are in small print at the top with red numbers. Ages 4-7 year old beginning readers will enjoy this cute story about a little slug who is reading a book called Rhymes of Mother Slug with his Mama slug. I highly recommend this book by Susan Pearson for helping little ones and slugs to read. The stories are rhyming and have repetitive words, words words. There is even the story about Little Miss Muffin. Its not like you remember. Its a slug in it. Yes, Yes Yes a slug.
I needed this book since I have many slugs around my home, all of whom appear to be illiterate. I try to engage them in conversation about their latest favorite books, but they always change the subject. So I have decided to help them, gently and unobtrusively, learn to read. This book presents seven clear step to slug literacy, and so far the process has been fun and painless. We have all enjoyed our daily "lessons," and some of the faster slugs are already reading simple text on their own. If you have slugs, I highly recommend this book. If you don't have slugs, I'm sorry. However, it seems to me the same technique might work even if all you have around your house are children.
Title: How To Teach A Slug To Read Author: Susan Pearson Illustrator: David Slonim Genre: How-to Book Theme(s): Phonics, Early Reading Skills, Humor Opening line/sentence: When you teach a slug to read, you should: 1. Start out by putting labels on his favorite things. Brief Book Summary: To teach a slug to read, you have to follow six specific steps. But, it may take a while, so it is important to be patient with your slug. When your slug does learn how to read, it will open him to a whole world of ideas and learning. Professional Recommendation/Review #1: School Library Journal K-Gr 2—This charming and funny manual is also informative for older siblings or parents who are beginning the teaching process themselves. The bits of advice include: "Attach labels to Little Slug's favorite things," "Read out loud to him," "Point out words that repeat," "Sound out words," "Make a vocabulary list," and "Be patient." Everything is made amusing by adding the slug perspective ("underline favorite words in slug slime"). Presented in a combination of bold text and speech bubbles, Pearson's text is simple and appealing. Illustrations are cartoonish with plenty of bug appeal, humor, and a scintilla of grossness. Beyond its cleverness, this is a terrific bookfomercial for READING. The final pages share some of the joys to be found in books in an unpreachy way. And that is no small achievement.—Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Children's Literature - Barbara L. Talcroft Adorable slugs? Isn't that an oxymoron? Not to Pearson, who made the slimy gastropods in Slugs in Love (Marshall Cavendish, 2006) truly charming. Here she collaborates with illustrator Slonim, whose witty acrylic and charcoal illustrations are an integral part of this tale of a literate slug. A boy explains to Mama Slug how to teach Little Slug to read, based, obviously, on his own experiences (and those of Slonim, whose wife taught their four children to read). Rule One says to label the beginner's favorite things, from which we learn that a slug loves corn, beans, carrots, worms, and bugs, all suitably labeled. Picking a good book is important, so Little Slug chooses Rhymes from Mother Slug, climbs slowly up a rock to see it, and confronts "Mary Had a Little Slug." Happy mother and excited child try other strategies, the most amusing of which is learning new vocabulary words like tuffet and curds and whey (it's "Cottage cheese"). Kids just learning to read will have fun recognizing skills they have already mastered, pre-readers will be anticipating the process with enthusiasm; parents can chuckle over pages with special books like The Snail in the Hat and Where the Wild Slugs Are. The oversize illustrations from a slug's perspective make this picture book a wonderful read-aloud, while pointing out that books can show a slug the whole wide world (slugs from other lands are pictured with their stalk eyes protruding from Asian, Russian, and Arab headgear). Young readers who now love to read with slugs will appreciate David Greenberg and Victoria Chase's Slugs (Little, Brown, 1983). Response to Two Professional Reviews: Both reviews touch upon the book’s charming use of a slug to tell the story about how we learn to read. The first review highlights this book as a “bookfomercial,” which is a great word to describe what this book does for young readers. The second review takes into account how adult can enjoy this book too, which can be an important selling feature for some families. All in all, both reviews highlight how the book is not preachy, which allows children to learn how to read without the message sounding cheesy. Evaluation of Literary Elements: The organization of the book is specifically successful because the tips of teaching your slug (or a human) how to read is in list format. Every two-page spread introduces a new tip on how to teach someone how to read. The book’s message is effective in teaching children how to read and also allows children to get some ideas about what to do to become a better reader. The message is clear, but not overly lectured on. Consideration of Instructional Application: This book could be applied in the beginning of the year in the reading curriculum of an early elementary school classroom. The teacher will read this book to the students and then write down the six steps on poster paper to be hung up in the classroom library. They can focus on a step for mini-lessons to learn different reading skills: underlining words, making a vocabulary list, attaching labels to items, etc. The students will also be given their very own slug bookmark that will list the six steps on his body.
Book Title: How to Teach a Slug to Read APA Citation: Pearson, S. (2011). How to teach a slug to read. Singapore: Marshall. KIRKUS REVIEW: Pearson is a slug intimate, having previously charted the course of two Slugs in Love (illustrated by Kevin O'Malley, 2006), so who better to explain, exactly, the best way to teach a slug to read? It is really quite elementary, starting with opening the book (make sure it has slug characters), read it to the slug, point out repeating words, help sound them out, get a vocabulary list going, underline favorite words and, you bet, “[r]ead your slug’s favorite poems to him as many times as he wants. Read him other books too!” This slug’s favorite is Mother Slug’s book of poetry, with such old gems as “Mary had a little slug, / His skin was smooth as silk” and “Whatever can the matter be? / Sally Slug has climbed a tree” and “Sweet Sammy Slug / Slides through the town.” Slonim’s upbeat illustrations give readers a sense that they are there with the slugs, flipping the pages, while the interjections from the slugs—“Sl-uh-uh-g! Hey, I can read SLUG!”—convey, with a light hand, the joys of reading. And though it isn’t cricket to diminish a slug’s capabilities, readers can’t help but feel that if a slug is up to the task, well then, maybe someone else in the room is, too. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re... Recommendation: I would recommend this book for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children because it discusses the process of learning how to read which is important in this age of child development. Children will make text-to-self connections as they relate to the slug in learning how to read. The illustrations are colorful and engaging portraying the author’s sense of humor. The slug is personified bringing a unique point of view to young readers. This picture book could be used in a thematic unit in the beginning of the school year to promote reading to the students and emphasize the importance of literacy. Grade Level: Pre-K through 3rd Awards/Honors: Bank Street CBC Best Children's Book of the Year
This amazing little book takes all the practical ways of teaching reading and power-packs it into a fun, whimsical instruction manual that works for little humans too.
Poor Mama Slug is at her anntena's end when she discovers her little one's reading dilemma. Enter the hero of the story. A wise boy steps into the picture and instructs both Mama and Junior the right way to learn to read. He has very practical advice as how to do so, starting by labelling junior's favourite things. He states that you must point junior (literally - oh for gosh sake prop that kid up so he can see the book) and then point out words to him that repeat throughout the story. Next you help him sound out words that he is having trouble with, (but better still, in my opinion, just give the poor guy the unfamiliar words and have him repeat them back to you instantly which is the best method for sure). And just for tactile, fun and variety, have him underline his favourite words in slug slime. Sub-slime...oops I mean sublime! Find books for him to read that interest him and that he can relate to and get excited about . The boy brings him books like, "Go Slug, Go!", "The Slug in the Hat" and an all time favourite in the slug-world - a modern version of "Little Miss Muffet," where the villain is not a spider but..... yep, you guessed it....a slug! Who could resist reading those aloud to your sluggard baby. The boy emphasizes to Mama that she needs patience, as reading is a process, and takes time. The overall message stresses the importance of reading together with your child and helping your child become a successful, lifelong reader. I loved the book, especially the illustrations. The pictures are clever, witty and cartoonish. David Slonium has made the book characters endearing and expressive and I love the colour pallet he chose. I know your child will delight in this book and be inspired by the thought - if a slug can read.... then so can I.... easy peasy! Next book please Mama Slug! Move over because I'm going to read it to you!!!!
Hmm, perhaps of more interest to parents (and 5-6 year olds). It's more early literacy tips and strategies than it is story. Miss 3 got bored and swapped it for the next one on our stack.
Miss 3 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
This book reminds me of If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. Or was it If You Give A Cat A Slice Of Prized Banana Nut Bread? Either way, the animal goes through this strange series of events that are somehow linked to the first event, but not really because a cat would never go swimming. So...the illustrations are fun.
The kids and I really enjoyed this book, though it is a longer book that will probably appeal more to older preschoolers and young elementary students.
Can also be used to discuss “fractured fairy tales” since the “books” and stories the slug enjoys are variations on well known books and stories.
Illustrations are fairly cute even though this is about slugs.
A clever book about learning to read that can be used for a story time program to help enforce "ready to read" skills. Very cute pictures. I would use this for a bug-themed story time program for preschoolers and kindergarten students who are learning to read.
A cute book about the steps involved in learning how to read. Illustrations are funny and cute and even pay tribute to famous children's books in a few spreads. A very satisfying read in that it's simple and the steps are practical and yet the reader is throughly entertained from start to finish.
A cute book providing Mother Slug with tips on how to teach her young slug to read. The tips mirror many of the ways we can teach children to read and celebrates the importance and power that reading brings.
A little literacy-based book with clever illustrations. This is one that is much more geared towards parents, and includes tips to help children become better readers. I thought it was cute and great as a teaching tool, but I don't think it would be very good as a read-aloud with a child.
The illustration on the page with the slug's favorite books is a hilarious slug adaptation of FROG AND TOAD, GO, DOG, GO, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, THE CAT IN THE HAT, etc. Worth the price of admission.
This was cute. I loved the illustrations. Seems the message is more for adults and the how we might build early literacy. Would like to read it with a little one to see how it might be received by a child.
Helpful hints on how to help your child learn to read (with some slug-specific hints as well). The "Rhymes from Mother Slug", selected text of the youngster, is fun to read. The students are going to love this one.
A very sweet and endearing book of a mother slug going through the steps required to learn to read with her son slug. Lots of slug puns and play on words. (My fav was a book cover Go Slug, Go! in lieu of Go Dog, Go!)
My grand daughter and I have read and re-read this several times. She kindergarten soon and we reading to get ready. She loved this book. She can sound out slug now.
I like the drawings,rhymes sound, and the ideas. I chose five stars because it teach me a lot of rhymes that I can use in my poetry books, so much stuff
A quick and silly read for a bedtime story for my four year old daughter. This book made us giggle and it was funny. My daughter liked the titles of the books that the slug was learning to read. She said it was silly, but a good story.
Brilliant book! I love the slug adapted well-known poems and stories
This book is a lot of fun. I read it to my four-year-old. She enjoyed the story. I enjoyed how the author changed well-known poems and stories to include slugs.
This was a sneaky way to teach a child to read, by showing how to teach a slug to read. I realized I had used some of these methods when my sons were very young, and the oldest son was reading at a very young age, without my even knowing it at first. This is a cute book.