Iris and Walter and the Birthday Party

Iris and Walter

by Elissa Haden Guest, Christine Davenier (Illustrator)

It's Walter's birthday and he has big plans for his party. There will be cake and ice cream and horseback riding, and all of his friends will be there--including, of course, his best friend, Iris. But when the big day finally arrives, something unexpected happens. Will the change of plans ruin Walter's birthday?

In the tenth book of the award-winning series, Iris and Walter discover that sometimes an unexpected surprise can make a special day all the more memorable.

Genres: Picture Books, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, Childrens

44 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

Elissa Haden Guest is the author of Baby Builders, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata and the award-winning Iris and Walter series illustrated by Christine Davenier. She holds an MFA in Children’s Literature from Hollins University and teaches classes in writing for children and young adults at College of Marin Community Education and Stanford Continuing Studies. She and her husband have two swell children and a hilarious little grandson. They live in San Francisco where they root for the Golden State Warriors.

Reviews

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big plans for Walter's Birthday Party include... HORSEBACK RIDING. Wow! But will the party go as planned?

What an astonishing surprise alters that party: Having grown up in New York City, not Walter's rural neighborhood, I was utterly unprepared.

Such a lovely story this is, a FIVE STAR wonder, between the clever plotting and words by author Elissa Haden Guest and the exceptionally gorgeous artwork by Christine Davenier.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Iris prepares for and attends Walter’s birthday party.

This easy reader series uses Iris's and Walter's friendship to tackle everyday issues experienced by children, both acknowledging the small struggles that have big impacts and reassuring young readers.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

estaba re bueno para iniciar con la lectura en inglés, primer libro del brita y btw cuando lo devolví (el real roche) la bibliotecaria me hizo chongo pq estaba rayado 😭 (gracias thiana)
Pero, dentro de todo, nice
AHORA QUIERO UN CABALLO (like blackjack)

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

good, but seems more dated than it is

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another simple, but entertaining story in the Iris and Walter series by Elissa Haden Guest and Christine Davenier.

We've enjoyed reading these stories together and we like how they depict situations that our girls can relate to. While our girls have never seen a newborn foal, they have experience the joy and excitement of birthday parties and horse rides, so they liked this story.

Overall, this was a fun book to read aloud and we enjoyed reading it together. We have read most of the books in this series and have really enjoyed them. We will certainly look for the remaining books in this series at our local library.

[Mary]

Walter is excited about his birthday party, but his horse, Rain, has a really big surprise in store for him! Delicate pen-and-ink illustrations underscore the gentle tone of this sweet story. Part of a series. Simple sentence structure and controlled vocabulary give developing readers confidence. The division into four short sections will make children feel they're getting ready for chapter books.

I recommend this for first graders and beginning second graders.

[Amy Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iris is excited that she can go to Walter's birthday party and see Rain (his horse who is also having a birthday) but during the party they get a great surprise. A gentle read. Series. AR 2.5

[Chak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a series of gentle, heartwarming books. This one has a baby horse in it!

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in the Iris and Walter series are beautiful.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet, little book about a boy, a girl, a party and a special surprise. It's delightful and educational all in one.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

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