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Llama Llama
Llama Llama Loves to Read
Anna Dewdney's Bestselling Llama Llama series continues with Llama learning to read!
Llama Llama learns at school.
Counting, writing, reading, rules.
Friends and school -- there's nothing better.
Llama learning all the letters!
Anna Dewdney's beloved Llama Llama is growing up and learning to read! Throughout the school day , the teacher helps Llama Llama and the other children practice their letters, shows word cards, reads stories, and brings them to the library where they can all choose a favorite book. By the end of the day, Llama Llama is recognizing words and can't wait to show Mama Llama that he's becoming a reader!
Llama Llama learns at school.
Counting, writing, reading, rules.
Friends and school -- there's nothing better.
Llama learning all the letters!
Anna Dewdney's beloved Llama Llama is growing up and learning to read! Throughout the school day , the teacher helps Llama Llama and the other children practice their letters, shows word cards, reads stories, and brings them to the library where they can all choose a favorite book. By the end of the day, Llama Llama is recognizing words and can't wait to show Mama Llama that he's becoming a reader!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2018
13 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Anna Dewdney
136 books430 followersAnna Dewdney was an award-winning children's-book author, illustrator, teacher, mother, and enthusiastic proponent of literacy and reading aloud to children. She was the author of the bestselling Llama Llama Red Pajama series of picturebooks, among many others. She lived with her partner Reed Duncan in Vermont where she worked, gardened, and spent time with her daughters and dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
May 15, 2020
My daughter got this book for her birthday to add to her llama llama collection, she now has 3 of them! She loves the series!
June 12, 2018
Llama Llama loves to read
So do we, but this book needs
A plot, a story, something more
Overall, this book’s a bore.
My kids are fans of Llama Llama
We all enjoy him (even Mama!)
We’re at the library to look
When lo! A brand new Llama book.
The rhyme scheme falters and it lags
The Llama book soon starts to drag
Page after page of boring teaching
The book is nearly always preaching.
A hodgepodge of sight words and phonics
Learn all of these, the rhymes admonish
Sight words, “hard” words, what a bore
To read has now become a chore.
This book might help, the smallest bit
To make one simply literate.
It never quite begins to capture
A love of books - the joy! The rapture!
To raise a child to love to read
There’s something else that child will need
A love for characters and story
Beyond what is obligatory.
A book that captures being small,
Bedtime, fits at shopping malls
A day at school without his mama
A bully that mocks Llama Llama.
A lonely day with Mama far
A treasured toy left in the car
Llama is relatable
This book, however, hateable.
But G and O spells “go,” you tell us
Listing letters, overzealous
STOP! And CAT! And BARBECUE!
But random spelling just won’t do.
Spelling words does not engage
A reader’s focus on the page
An opportunity now missed
Opting instead for spelling lists.
To raise a reader, one thing’s certain
As shown to us by Levar Burton
The rules of grammar can’t compare
To books that make a reader care.
This “story” (if you call it that)
Works just the same with Pete the Cat
Or Franklin, Caillou, Bo Obama
There’s nothing here unique to Llama.
But Llama Llama saw a prize
Llama could just merchandise!
A show (just as devoid of heart)
A book to sell on book fair carts.
A book that just instructs in reading
A title -- just a bit misleading
Just enough to make the sale
Llama Llama cannot fail.
Emotional and social learning
Matters more, but isn’t earning
All the money that it could
Who cares if this book’s any good?
So do we, but this book needs
A plot, a story, something more
Overall, this book’s a bore.
My kids are fans of Llama Llama
We all enjoy him (even Mama!)
We’re at the library to look
When lo! A brand new Llama book.
The rhyme scheme falters and it lags
The Llama book soon starts to drag
Page after page of boring teaching
The book is nearly always preaching.
A hodgepodge of sight words and phonics
Learn all of these, the rhymes admonish
Sight words, “hard” words, what a bore
To read has now become a chore.
This book might help, the smallest bit
To make one simply literate.
It never quite begins to capture
A love of books - the joy! The rapture!
To raise a child to love to read
There’s something else that child will need
A love for characters and story
Beyond what is obligatory.
A book that captures being small,
Bedtime, fits at shopping malls
A day at school without his mama
A bully that mocks Llama Llama.
A lonely day with Mama far
A treasured toy left in the car
Llama is relatable
This book, however, hateable.
But G and O spells “go,” you tell us
Listing letters, overzealous
STOP! And CAT! And BARBECUE!
But random spelling just won’t do.
Spelling words does not engage
A reader’s focus on the page
An opportunity now missed
Opting instead for spelling lists.
To raise a reader, one thing’s certain
As shown to us by Levar Burton
The rules of grammar can’t compare
To books that make a reader care.
This “story” (if you call it that)
Works just the same with Pete the Cat
Or Franklin, Caillou, Bo Obama
There’s nothing here unique to Llama.
But Llama Llama saw a prize
Llama could just merchandise!
A show (just as devoid of heart)
A book to sell on book fair carts.
A book that just instructs in reading
A title -- just a bit misleading
Just enough to make the sale
Llama Llama cannot fail.
Emotional and social learning
Matters more, but isn’t earning
All the money that it could
Who cares if this book’s any good?
September 29, 2021
Why yes, yes, I am trying to catch up with my reading goal for the year by inflating my count with picture books read to my niece. Anyway, this one was pretty fun--nice rhythm, cute pictures, a message of which I approve.
November 20, 2021
My son and I read this together. It’s easy words, a good story, & the pictures are colorful! Thank you to Dolly Pardon’s Reading Library for our copy. This is my honest review.
December 27, 2018
A perfect book for small children who are trying to figure out this thing that we call reading. Since one of my favorite little people is four years old and learning his letters in preschool, I picked this book up at the bookstore. He loved it and since we have read it about 30 times in a week, I think that it might be working.
July 11, 2021
Julianna and I enjoyed this book tonight. All about the alphabet, reading and love of reading and learning to read.
January 24, 2019
I adore the Llama Llama books. My preschool class does too!
May 1, 2018
In this book, Llama Llama is at school learning about letters, writing his name, and about the magic of books. It is cheerful and colorful like all of Llama's adventures. My only complaint is that I feel like Llama breezes through learning to read a little too easily. As a mom of early elementary schoolers I think it oversimplifies what really is a difficult process.
That being said, it does feel empowering and energizing which I think kids find encouraging. This is a book that kids on the verge of reading will love to read. I love that it spells out the steps and parts of becoming a reader. I love how like all Llama Llama books it touches on feelings kids will recognize in themselves. This is a great read aloud for preschoolers and kindergartners.
*I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
That being said, it does feel empowering and energizing which I think kids find encouraging. This is a book that kids on the verge of reading will love to read. I love that it spells out the steps and parts of becoming a reader. I love how like all Llama Llama books it touches on feelings kids will recognize in themselves. This is a great read aloud for preschoolers and kindergartners.
*I received a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
July 24, 2018
Perfect book for preschool storytime. The illustrations are a lovely imitation. I'm so glad this series has found a way to continue and honor the author.
January 12, 2020
Loved this! Perfect for my kindergartener who got some practice spelling and reading some basic words. Although, it's the younger one who loves llama llama books the most, so it was a win-win.
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May 4, 2020This is a great book for students who do not like reading. This is an easy book that goes through all of the things that the llama likes to do. It is a very simple book with a simple story line that is great for first-time readers.
May 11, 2018
I really liked it, and not just because it's dedicated to me. (And a million other people, but shhhhhh.)
I liked that it really went through the process - the alphabet, sounding things out, tricky words, all the way up to complete sentences and even books!
(It did seem like it only took a matter of days, though....)
Anyway, I thought it was a fitting continuation of Dewdney's work.
I liked that it really went through the process - the alphabet, sounding things out, tricky words, all the way up to complete sentences and even books!
(It did seem like it only took a matter of days, though....)
Anyway, I thought it was a fitting continuation of Dewdney's work.
June 27, 2018
In the style of the original books rather than in the style of the new animated series. A little bit forced because of the subject matter, but, still a rhyming structure that will be familiar to fans of the series with charming illustrations.
Not as much fun as a couple of the originals, but, fun if you need a book about school and reading.
Not as much fun as a couple of the originals, but, fun if you need a book about school and reading.
October 15, 2018
With brightly colored illustrations we visit Llama Llama at school and the reader learns all about learning to read. Letters, sounds, combing letter into words and words into sentences-Llama can proudly do this all. A wonderfully bouncy addition to any library, book, or reading/school themed story time.
June 14, 2021
While I am glad to see a new addition to the Llama Llama books, you can tell this was written without the magical touch of Anna Dewdney. I found the text to be a bit tortured at times, it just doesn't flow well. Even my daughter seemed kind of meh, and Llama Llama Red Pajama is her favorite.
September 30, 2018
Review originally published on my blog,
Nine Pages
.
Published posthumously and completed in her style by her long time partner Reed Duncan, this school time story teaches lessons about the alphabet and the words that they can spell and the sentences that are made by words, the songs, the books. This seemed a little longer, a little more didactic than some of the other Llama Llama books with its vocabulary words and its recitation of the alphabet. It’s more picture book than a primer though. Llama Llama is growing up, and he’s less in need of reassurance of his mother’s love. Now there are other lessons to be learned. The text still has the rhythm and rhyme of Dewdney’s earlier works. The illustrations seem somehow a little more cartoonish, though it is clear that J. T. Morrow tried to stay true to the character of Dewdney’s earlier works.
Published posthumously and completed in her style by her long time partner Reed Duncan, this school time story teaches lessons about the alphabet and the words that they can spell and the sentences that are made by words, the songs, the books. This seemed a little longer, a little more didactic than some of the other Llama Llama books with its vocabulary words and its recitation of the alphabet. It’s more picture book than a primer though. Llama Llama is growing up, and he’s less in need of reassurance of his mother’s love. Now there are other lessons to be learned. The text still has the rhythm and rhyme of Dewdney’s earlier works. The illustrations seem somehow a little more cartoonish, though it is clear that J. T. Morrow tried to stay true to the character of Dewdney’s earlier works.
Read
May 11, 2021Book Title: Parts
Author: Anna Dewdney
Book Level: 2.1
Book Summary:
This is a great book for anyone learning how to read. This book helps readers/listeners move from letters to words. It talks about how we know that letters each have their own sound, now we need to start using those sounds to make words. The book also does a great job of talking about how words also go into orders called sentences and they make up the language that we speak. I highly recommend this book for any teacher or parent with a child who is ready to go from letter sounds to making words and sentences.
This book has great organization and sentence fluency. The message is very easy for young learners to grasp and allows for a fun and entertaining read for the young readers. The order helps readers progress from letters to phonics to sentences and allows for any easy sequential order. The sentence fluency is also great in this book, there are a lot of words that rhyme and flow together to help make this a fun and easy read that keeps the readers entertained.
Author: Anna Dewdney
Book Level: 2.1
Book Summary:
This is a great book for anyone learning how to read. This book helps readers/listeners move from letters to words. It talks about how we know that letters each have their own sound, now we need to start using those sounds to make words. The book also does a great job of talking about how words also go into orders called sentences and they make up the language that we speak. I highly recommend this book for any teacher or parent with a child who is ready to go from letter sounds to making words and sentences.
This book has great organization and sentence fluency. The message is very easy for young learners to grasp and allows for a fun and entertaining read for the young readers. The order helps readers progress from letters to phonics to sentences and allows for any easy sequential order. The sentence fluency is also great in this book, there are a lot of words that rhyme and flow together to help make this a fun and easy read that keeps the readers entertained.
December 15, 2022
I think this is a great book! But it’s definitely not fit for older kids due to the rhymes and small dialogue. I think it’s best for PreK-2nd grade students. Llama Llama loves to read is about a young Llama learning how to count, write, and read! Llama Llama loves it because he already knows some about each of the topics but he especially loves to read. Llama llama couldn’t wait to read to his mama! I also like this book because it talks about words and the meaning to them for example it talks about the word go then spells it and tells the meaning. I think kids would enjoy it due to the rhymes and repetition, which could even hold a young child's attention span and they could be more engaged! The illustration is very detailed and bright and creative it reminds me of the Max and Ruby animation and it represents a clear picture of what’s happening. This author - Anna Dewdney has many other stories including Llama llama so your child has many other options if they enjoy the characters!
October 10, 2018
Llama Llama Loves to Read is about a young Llama who is learning all of the letters of the alphabet and how you can create words and even sentences with them! I would recommend this book to a teacher who has just taught the alphabet to their students or who is currently teaching the alphabet. As you read this book to your students, they will enjoy seeing the letters that Llama Llama is learning and noticing that they also know those letters! As Llama Llama says “ABC” you could even allow your students to read them with you! As your students listen to how much Llama Llama is enjoying learning the alphabet and using them to make words, then this might excite your students to do the same. I hope to one day use this book in my classroom after teaching the alphabet and seeing my students faces light up and they notice the letters that they have learned and get to shout them out with the whole class!
June 12, 2020
The llama llama series is one of my toddler's favorite series. We own just about every book in this series, plus some following the Netflix show also.
This one is especially awesome. It explains to kids that letters have sounds, and letters make up words, which make up sentences, which make up stories. I was able to really focus on letter recognition throughout the entire book with my 2.5 year old who knows the ABC song, but hasn't quite recognized the letters themselves yet. She successfully recognized "A" last night! And then memorization she was able to recognize B and C.
This book has the same easy cadence and rhyme that the entire series has, along with fun pictures depicting what is going on in the story. I think this is the only book in the series that doesn't have an escalation where Llama Llama freaks out or yells. We really enjoyed this and I highly recommend it to toddler and preschool age kids to help supplement learning the alphabet and letter sounds.
This one is especially awesome. It explains to kids that letters have sounds, and letters make up words, which make up sentences, which make up stories. I was able to really focus on letter recognition throughout the entire book with my 2.5 year old who knows the ABC song, but hasn't quite recognized the letters themselves yet. She successfully recognized "A" last night! And then memorization she was able to recognize B and C.
This book has the same easy cadence and rhyme that the entire series has, along with fun pictures depicting what is going on in the story. I think this is the only book in the series that doesn't have an escalation where Llama Llama freaks out or yells. We really enjoyed this and I highly recommend it to toddler and preschool age kids to help supplement learning the alphabet and letter sounds.
May 14, 2018
My Review: I love that we are getting new Llama Llama books! Munchkin loves these books and they always have such a great rhyme and rhythm when reading. This Llama Llama book is a little longer than some of the earlier ones but it follows Llama all the way from learning letters and their sounds to writing them and building them into words and sentences and more. It was a fun book to read with Munchkin as he recognized the different steps he went through to learn how to read. It does seem to show that Llama learns all of this in a single day, so those still learning and maybe struggling it might be a little frustrating or it could be encouraging to see the end result, this is when knowing your child really comes into play when picking a book. We loved it though and are thrilled to add it to our collection.
July 30, 2018
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
A wonderful book for young book-lovers.
I'll admit, I was a little disappointed that there wasn't really a story in this one. The book touches on various aspects of Llama Llama learning to read (sight words, alphabet, getting books at the library), but does not have a real plot. There is a point when Llama gets a tiny bit frustrated about hard words, but it doesn't really go anywhere. I really like Llama Llama books that teach a lesson. This one celebrates reading, which is wonderful, but it wasn't much of a story.
Having said that, it was still an entertaining and pleasant read. The rhyme scheme is very soothing and the book flows nicely. I also enjoyed the illustrations.
Overall, it could have used more of a plot, but I still found it to be an enjoyable book.
A wonderful book for young book-lovers.
I'll admit, I was a little disappointed that there wasn't really a story in this one. The book touches on various aspects of Llama Llama learning to read (sight words, alphabet, getting books at the library), but does not have a real plot. There is a point when Llama gets a tiny bit frustrated about hard words, but it doesn't really go anywhere. I really like Llama Llama books that teach a lesson. This one celebrates reading, which is wonderful, but it wasn't much of a story.
Having said that, it was still an entertaining and pleasant read. The rhyme scheme is very soothing and the book flows nicely. I also enjoyed the illustrations.
Overall, it could have used more of a plot, but I still found it to be an enjoyable book.
May 21, 2018
I will start by saying I adore the Llama Llama series by Anna Dewdney. When she died, it was so heartbreaking.
I was excited at first when I saw that another book had been released in the series--maybe she had sent a book off before she'd died?! And despite the fact the art looks the same and the rhymes feel the same, the book was missing something. Then I realized that it had co-authors. They probably helped create a book from her notes? I applaud their efforts--the books is definitely a solid three stars, but it just doesn't feel like the originals. The plot feels a little like a cliche alphabet book with the beloved characters thrown in--not completely but enough that the book was a little laborious to get through. A decent copy! But a copy nonetheless :(
I was excited at first when I saw that another book had been released in the series--maybe she had sent a book off before she'd died?! And despite the fact the art looks the same and the rhymes feel the same, the book was missing something. Then I realized that it had co-authors. They probably helped create a book from her notes? I applaud their efforts--the books is definitely a solid three stars, but it just doesn't feel like the originals. The plot feels a little like a cliche alphabet book with the beloved characters thrown in--not completely but enough that the book was a little laborious to get through. A decent copy! But a copy nonetheless :(
November 22, 2018
I was so excited to see a new Llama Llama book and it was about reading!! I excitedly put my name on the hold list at the library. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations. Llama Llama begins by learning letters and the alphabet. Then the book explains that letters make words and Llama begins to recognize some words. Llama learns to write his name and some words. Next the book explains that words together make a sentence and that sentences make books. Ugh. I thought this book was going to be about the joys of reading -- experiencing adventures, the comfort of reading with someone you love, the art, the smells, etc. This book is really about learning to read instead; it should've been called "Llama Llama Learns to Read" so that people know what to expect.
August 20, 2021
I just love all the Llama Llama stories. I love the rhyme that they create, and this one was no exception.
The story was about how Llama Llama comes to learn how to read. The author so creatively takes the reader through a progression of how we all go from learning our letter's aka our ABC's, to reading whole stories....and everything in between(letters make words, words make sentences, sentences make stories, stories make books).
The class at Llama Llama's school even visited the library, and as a teacher turned librarian, I thought that was pretty COOL.
Wonderful ending, with Llama Llama reading to his mother....which made for a very happy feelings upon closing the last page!
The story was about how Llama Llama comes to learn how to read. The author so creatively takes the reader through a progression of how we all go from learning our letter's aka our ABC's, to reading whole stories....and everything in between(letters make words, words make sentences, sentences make stories, stories make books).
The class at Llama Llama's school even visited the library, and as a teacher turned librarian, I thought that was pretty COOL.
Wonderful ending, with Llama Llama reading to his mother....which made for a very happy feelings upon closing the last page!
December 6, 2018
Some of the Dewdney magic is here, but it is not the same. The text rhymes and the illustrations are the same, but there isn't a plot. It's more of a really long poem about what words and literacy is, and how Llama Llama learns at school.
I'm not a fan of how Llama Llama appears to go from learning letters in the start of the book, to reading books (apparently about pirates) to his mama by the end of the day. the book is also a bit long to not have an actual story to tell. I think kids will enjoy it, but it won't be a favorite like the others.
I'm not a fan of how Llama Llama appears to go from learning letters in the start of the book, to reading books (apparently about pirates) to his mama by the end of the day. the book is also a bit long to not have an actual story to tell. I think kids will enjoy it, but it won't be a favorite like the others.
December 12, 2018
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
The act of learning to read is the main focus in this Llama Llama addition but without a true story. Lots of literacy covered here, from learning the alphabet to decoding to sight words to background knowledge to the love of reading--it all manages to get mentioned but with so much, there's no real story and the book feels strictly didactic at the end. The rhymes were fun and the celebration of reading is achieved but look elsewhere for an emerging reader story with more depth.
The act of learning to read is the main focus in this Llama Llama addition but without a true story. Lots of literacy covered here, from learning the alphabet to decoding to sight words to background knowledge to the love of reading--it all manages to get mentioned but with so much, there's no real story and the book feels strictly didactic at the end. The rhymes were fun and the celebration of reading is achieved but look elsewhere for an emerging reader story with more depth.
April 27, 2018
I haven't read many of the Llama Llama books, so maybe this is their normal length, but it seemed a little long. I liked the build of from letters to words to sentences, etc., but it needs to be condensed a little bit... maybe bail on the go/stop thing? I appreciated that Llama Llama had trouble with some hard words. It's not like he was a flawless reader. An excellent choice to have on the shelves at a public library, in schools, and on bookshelves at home.
May 15, 2018
I'm not sure why, but this book felt different than the other Llama Llama books. I'm not sure if it's because I read it after seeing that it said "An Anna Dewdney book" versus "by Anna Dewdney" and thus expected something else, or if they actually is a difference. Either way, something about it didn't fit what usually fits my expectations of the Llama Llama books. It's not bad, but it's not what I thought either.
September 29, 2018
I did like this book. It was perfect for reading to the kindergartners and they loved it. Nice rhyme and rhythm and when the zebra teacher got the the ABC chart, the class sang the ABC song for me. I was enchanted and they got to perform! The book is a tad long--I could clip a few pages together next time to shorten it. It actually felt like it was going to end several times, but then kept going.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews