Betsy Barnett (Children's Literature)
The "Hello Reader!" series is written for particular reading levels to assist beginning readers. This Level 1 title in the series uses a controlled vocabulary and while it does little to create an interesting tale, it includes all the elements of story--three characters, a goose, a goat, and a girl, who live side-by-side in three houses and experience problems that must be solved. The text is divided into four separate stories, a compilation from four separate titles by McPhail, which are progressive and cumulative. Unfortunately, the illustrations are small, lack in color and boldness, and do little to assist the controlled text. A helpful letter to the family members of the beginning reader is the best aspect of this series, because it gives parents and other caregivers useful tips and information about reading with their child. There is also an e-mail address where inquiring adults can find additional answers. A helpful and much needed series for school libraries, particularly where lexile reading levels are used and measured. This title should be accessible to preschool through first grade readers. 2000, Scholastic, $3.99. Ages 4 to 8.