Russell PunterReseñas

AR: 1.4

EducatingParents.org rating: Approved

This was a fun rhyming book with great illustrations. It’s opening day for the Unicorn Hotel and they need the guests to see everything perfectly, but everything goes wrong. Kids will like this book and want to read it again and again, and since it’s short parents probably won’t say no.

Independent Reading Level: Grades PK-3
Awards: n/a

A novel about the journey of the craziest crew of pirates.

I first became aware of the Usborne Shakespeare graphic adaptation of Macbeth through a post on the Graphic Stories thread. I bought a copy because I was launching a read of Shakespeare's play coupled with a read of Jo Nesbo's novel of the same name, inspired by the play. After reading Usborne's edition, I spotted a graphic version by Gareth Hinds in a library. I signed it out. Comparing the two graphic versions was very interesting.

In my opinion, the Usborne version is a bargain-basement item, intended to fill a blank spot in the publisher's lineup. The adaptation of Shakespeare's text is acceptable, not not anything more than that. Overall, the illustrations are competent but not special; my gut snarks that they were drawn by the low-bidder, who was chosen for the job simply because he was the low-bidder. They are sketchy. The characters convey anger more often than any other emotion.

I've posted a comparison of this edition with the edition created by Gareth Hinds. A substantial selection of visuals from both books is included. Here's the linky: https://www.librarything.com/topic/340224#7796277

I have read this one 28 time’s

Usborne

Creepy subject matter for a phonics reader, or for young kids. It starts out cute and light. I mean, llamas in pajamas?! How cute can it be? Then it turns dark.

Homer’s Odyssey requires no introduction for hard-core fans of literature, but reading this great work in its original translation can be daunting to older kids and young adults. Fortunately, Punter and Fiorin retold this classic in a graphic novel. They maintain the basic storyline and illustrate the action with imagination.

Fans of Dog Man and other graphic novels will appreciate this form of one of the best stories ever told in human language. It’s action-packed (as its original recipients would have heard it), but as recast, it’s also imaginative and playful. Graphic novels done well bring to life creative storylines to intermediate readers in ways that mere words-on-a-page cannot.

This adaptation uses several devices to make it accessible. First, the story is retold in a modern style with plain word-choices. Vivid pictures bring the words to life. A map of the Mediterranean at book’s front explains Odysseus’ travels in space. The authors summarize the Odyssey’s action in brief form, which makes it readable in short time.

The plot, classically retold, reflects a storyline appreciated by the West for millennia. Odysseus travels home from Troy to Greece, only to be blown off course. He upsets Poseidon, the sea god, and his seamen and ship encounters a series of otherworldly travails. Will Odysseus ever get home? And what kind of home awaits him? These questions haunt this book as the reader ponders the world’s richness. We ask ourselves, “In light of earth’s diversity and trappings, will we ever get home to peace?” Punter and Fiorin effectively cultivate these very human themes in older children and young adults. We should thank them for their contribution to English-reading civilization.

Fun graphic novel version of Dracula! Perfect for this time of year and for younger readers!

This is a silly book about a girl who makes underpants for ants and her unsuccessful store becomes successful. This book was designed for poor readers and teaches how to read phonetically. I would like to have my kids read this for practice.

This book was about a dinosaur who used his roar to scare all of his friends and prevent them from completing their daily task. When the dinosaur lost his roar, all of his friends made fun of him and did not want to be his friend. When his friends were kidnapped by a bigger, stronger dinosaur Sid had to use his roar to save all of them.

The central message of this book is to use your powers for good, and not evil. His friends did not like him when he would only use his roar to scare them but once he used it to save them they were finally friends again. This teaches children that is better to be kind, and only treat others the way you want to be treated as well.

I would give this book three stars, as it was good and well-written, but also only facts. To give this book a childish touch, there is speaking, and easiness to the speech involved. There are no long words or violence, and I recommend this book for five-to-twelve-year-olds.

It is about a bunch of training gladiators, one of which is Spartacus, in a horrible training palace, barely fed anything, whipped if just one thing goes wrong. Spartacus hates life in the gladiator school, and eventually, with all his agreeing mates, breaks out and tries to fight the Romans with his large war army for capturing them and turning them into disgusted gladiator-slaves.

But can Spartacus and his army fight the Romans and win? They were trained each and every day, unlike the soldiers guarding the gates and the towering city of Rome. But of course, with barely anything to eat and hard, steel-like beds to sleep on, are they quite so strong and live-like as the terrible soldiers ahead of them?

Cute story of raccoon going to the moon and the help he needs to get back home. Fun read with doubters back home. Your children will enjoy it. Well, at least, I did.

Sid loves to sneak up behind his friends and scare them with his ferocious roar, which his friends don't enjoy nearly as much as he does. One day, he gets a sore throat, and his roar is gone. When he goes to visit his friends, they are gone, too! Now, his friends are in danger. Will Sid be able to save them with his powerful voice? This cartoon illustrations use almost neon colors, causing the dinosaurs' presence on (or absence from) the page to be immediately apparent to the reader, with simple text and an engaging story. Suitable for beginning readers aged 5 to 8. Recommended purchase.

No surprise, Scaredy Cat is afraid of everything! This early reader invites youngsters to follow Stanley (aka Scaredy Cat) as he encounters things that scare him, like boys and kites. One night when out with his cat buddies Tabby and Snowy, Stanley finds himself in a strange, dark house. While cowering in fright over a nearby mouse, Stanley is confronted with a mysterious shape that he fears might be a monster. Stanley must face his fears, and many young readers will be able to identify with Scaredy Cat’s anxiety over ordinary things. The humorous and bright illustrations will engage children. Punter’s diverse use of language styles—rhyming, conversation bubbles, dialogue, and narration—also help students learn how to read more successfully. For ages 6-8. Recommended.½

Scaredy Cat is scared of everything – planes, trains, heights, and kites. But when he and his friends follow a mouse into a dark house, Scaredy Cat finds something to REALLY be afraid of. Russell Punter’s “Scaredy Cat” is an Usborne First Reading level three easy reader with helpful repetition of sounds, words, and rhymes that make this a good book for beginning readers who are ready to move on to more pages (this book has 48). Gustavo Mazali’s fun, expressive illustrations of the corpulent cat really express his fear and anxiety in a silly, likeable way with trembling lines and undulating shadows. The book has an illustration on every page, with text often above and below that is typically accompanied by “word balloons” giving the story a comic book feel. The book is a bit rushed at the end, as Scaredy Cat’s fear is greatly built up throughout the story and resolved in only three pages. Kids will look for a more satisfying ending, especially those dealing with anxious personalities, and could benefit from a little more care paid in the end to that area. Recommended for ages 6-7.

I thought I want to become pirate.

"perry and his family lived at the South Pole."
"One day, Perry found a box."
"But he was too cold to eat it."

This story is funny. Illustrations are very cute.
Characters are stylish! Putting on the knit cup, scarf or glass!!
This book is easy to read.

Katie and Josh

Katie and Josh

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