Bob Books, Set 1: Beginning Readers
A teacher’s look at why this book belongs in the Read-to-Me, Read-by-Me stage.
Why it fits Read-to-Me, Read-by-Me (for the kindergarten-ready set, between being read to and reading alone)
Tiny books using only a few letter sounds each, so the very first attempt succeeds. Finishing an entire book on day one is rocket fuel for confidence. The standard first step for sound-it-out readers.
What makes it special
Each tiny book uses only the letter sounds a beginner already has, so the very first attempt ends in victory. The stick-figure art is deliberately humble — the child's own decoding is the spectacle. Finishing an entire book on day one converts 'I can't read' to 'I read one' in about four minutes.
About Bobby Lynn Maslen
Bobby Lynn Maslen taught three- to five-year-olds at a private school in Portland, Oregon, and it was there that she created the Bob Books; the first set was published in 1976.
Her husband John Maslen, a watercolour artist and former architect, illustrated the books. Portland State University published them first, and after a 1993 USA Today feature drove demand the Maslens partnered with Scholastic, which became the publisher in 1994.
Also by this author: Bob Books Set 2: Advancing Beginners · Bob Books: Sight Words
More from “I Can Read This Myself”
This book is part of The Best Books for Beginning Readers: 30 Teacher Picks (Read-to-Me, Read-by-Me) in our guide The Best Children’s Books by Age — 120 books chosen by the Montessori-certified teachers at Creative Minds Montessori in Frisco, TX. Come see how we build readers →
Nobody paid for this review — not the author, not the publisher — and the store link above earns us nothing. Our only interest is the reader this book fits.