Joe and Betsy the Dinosaur - Book Review

Joe and Betsy the Dinosaur by Lillian Hoban (Harper Collins & I Can Read Books Publishers), 1995

This book is based on the beginning reader series by I Can Read Books and it's publishing partner Harper Collins. The books in this series are categorized by reading levels (Pre-K to Grade 4+). Levelled books help emergent readers by providing simple concepts and stories through the use of easy-to-recognize vocabulary and simple sentences/text. 

Joe and Betsy the Dinosaur by Lillian Hoban (Harper Collins & I Can Read Books Publishers), 1995

This month in our reading block for preschool, we have been reading winter-themed books. Today, we read a really great book called Joe and Betsy the Dinosaur. It talks about a boy's friend who is different from others. The dinosaur, Betsy is Joe's companion and when they set out on an adventure, they face problems with acceptance from others, impatience, and unkindness. Upon encountering these problems, Joe and Betsy return to their homes to realize that it is okay to be different. I like this book as it targets the differences and equity issues we face every step of the way in our day-to-day lives. Being different is okay and self-acceptance is the first step to being a confident and strong person in the real world. Below are some activities that you can do with your child while reading leveled books:

1. Prior Learning Activities:
• Look at the cover picture(s) and discuss what is on the cover. Look at the pictures for clues and use key words to describe what you see (i.e. boy, dinosaur, snowing, snow, etc.)
• Read the title aloud and try to predict what the book may be about.
• Discuss the topic and it's relevance to your child's real life. For example, talk about snow and it's affects in our lives.
• Introduce the vocabulary in the book by writing it down on chart paper and have it open for display. Before you begin reading, go over the words by sounding them out.
• For an older child, you may write or discuss the learning objectives of the book (what will be learned; this requires you to read the book in advance).
2. During Reading Activities:
• Allow your child to read the text, while you listen for support.
• Read aloud to your child and let them interact with you (ask questions, point out things in the pictures or discuss the feelings/emotions they may experience about the story's context).
• Another way to get your child to participate is by asking the 5W questions (who, what, when, where, and why). Avoid close-ended questions that require yes or no answers. Ask questions that may lead your child to ask you another question or prompt for more knowledge.
• Discuss different characters and their personal traits (i.e. kind, unkind, sad, excited, etc.).
• Look at the page numbers (if the book has any and count the page numbers from beginning to end to find out the number of pages in the book).
• Predict what will happen next when you reach the problem or climax of the story. You can also predict what will happen next during various stages of the story.
3. After Reading Activities:
• The best after reading activity is checking for comprehension. Ask questions and/or prompt your child to ask specific story related questions. Keep it simple in the beginning and build up the complexity of the questions as your child grows as a reader. To build on comprehension and understanding of the text, do a story map or a brainstorming bubble that discusses the main ideas and supporting details of the story.
• This would a good time to practice the Phonics or words related to the story. Looking at prefixes (common ones include pre-, dis-, un-, non-, re-) and suffixes (common ones include -ed, -ing, -er, -s, -es). Another fun word study is looking at words that rhyme with the words in the story.
• Your child can do a sketch or snapshot of the story after reading. Some examples of things that your child can draw are characters, story setting, story problem/solution, and/or ending.
• Make a story timeline by listing events of the story from the beginning to the end. 
• You can also summarize the story events by having your child retell the story.

Happy Reading,
Annie