2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 1 book toward her goal of 285 books.
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2023 Reading Challenge

2023 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 5 books toward her goal of 265 books.
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Book Review: Pumpus has a Glowing Idea by Praba

Today I’m pleased to bring you not only a darling kids’ book, but a guest review bit by my very own daughter, The Sprout. The Sprout is six and will be going into First Grade. She can read and wanted to help me with this review, so you’ll get not only my opinions as a parent/adult reader, but hers as the target audience!

First, me. Pumpus is a very cute character offering kids insight into science and inventing. The book is a sweetly simple story about a group of friends going on an adventure and about how the problem-solve when they realize they’ve gone camping without matches. The writing is easy to follow and read, the illustrations are darling, and the book includes references to famous inventors as well as a “newspaper” at the end that offers history, safety and fun facts about the key topic: fire. It was an engaging and straightforward read and a great introduction to the concept of problem-solving/inventing.

And now for the more interesting bits: The Sprout’s perspective. She will write the first bit; I’ll transcribe the second with some pointed questions to get her take on the details.

In her own words: I love this book. It is amazing.

With a little transcription, here’s some more ala The Sprout – these are the questions they asked after reading books in Kindergarten this past year, and they’re how she is used to evaluating age-appropriate books:

  • Did you like this book? Yes
  • Would you read it again? No, even though I liked it. (NB: she almost never says she would read it again; she clearly didn’t inherit the “like it, read it over and over” gene from her mother…)
  • What did you like best about it? When they made their own campfire and were safe in the woods.
  • Was there anything you didn’t like about it? I didn’t like when they were all worried about the dark.
  • What is the one thing you would tell someone else about this book? It’s a fun book.

From my perspective, she enjoyed it as much as similar learning-based picture books we’ve read in the past. She read me the first half, then I read the rest to her. She could have read the entire book, with some help (there were a few new words and names), but we tend to tag-team when we read picture books together. The drawings were cute and she liked that there was a pink robot. It was the perfect length/depth for a picture book I think – just long enough to give a story arc but not so long or wordy that she lost interest. She really enjoys STEM classes at school and I think she’d be interested in more books featuring these characters on different adventures.

Thanks to the author for reaching out and introducing us to Pumpus and allowing us to share in his adventures! For more information, including a subscription to the Pumpusville Times! – visit Boon-Dah.com.

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