Bob Books

Author(s): 
Bobby Lynn Maslen
Illustrator(s): 
John R Maslen
Number of pages: 
12 pages
Copyright: 
2006
ISBN: 
9780439845007
Publisher: 
Scholastic Inc.
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 

The Bob Books and subsequent titles (five sets of small reading booklets in all) are sets of very small, stapled booklets with black and white line drawings and colorful covers, which contain very simple stories. They are approximately $15 per set (although I've seen them at Sam's Club and Half-Price books for less). Each set comes in a colorful box with two little cardboard finger puppets and a cardboard puppet theatre. Although the booklets can hold up pretty well through several children (if you keep them from the little ones, since each book is generally read only once), the puppet theatre and finger puppets, and even the box, will probably not survive long in a busy homeschool family. Although I hesitated for quite awhile to purchase these books because I prefer stories with more beautiful pictures and more meaningful text, I have, in the end, found these books to be quite useful tools in teaching and encouraging reading and motivating children through some of the more tedious stages of getting comfortable with reading. They also fill a need. If you look at early readers at the public library, you will be hard pressed to find anything (except perhaps a bit of Dr. Seuss, who I don't care for all that much) that starts out at such a simple level.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1998-99