Turtle and Snake at Work

ANNOTATION

When Turtle and Snake go camping, they find the perfect spot for their tent, only to be scared off by a strange sound in the dark.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

What do these two best friends do when they're at work? Turtle wears white gloves and holds a sign. He tells the cars which way to go. Snake wears an apron and a tall hat. He is making pizzas. But Turtle and Snake know just how to end a busy day—with a pizza party! Simple vocabulary, frequent repetition, and illustrations that offer clues to the text make this one of the easiest Easy-to-Reads around—and help emergent readers gain important confidence in their reading skills.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Cheryl Peterson

Turtle and Snake are neighbors and during the workweek they each get up to go to work. Turtle's job is to guide traffic, and Snake makes pizza. They meet again to relax after a busy day at work. This is a level one story in the "Viking Easy to Read" series. The brief sentences, repetitive phrases, and simple vocabulary are enhanced by expressive illustrations that give lots of visual cues to early readers.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-A humorous look at an ordinary day in the lives of two reptilian neighbors. Turtle directs traffic on a busy street while Snake works at a pizza parlor. Both animals are skilled at their work but momentary lapses lead to minor accidents: Turtle is splashed by a bicyclist when he looks the other way and Snake ends up covered with dough when he gives an energetic display of his pie-spinning abilities. The simple text is filled with short, repetitive words and sentences that many beginning readers will be able to master quickly. The full-color illustrations, set off by white space and bold, black font, provide visual clues to the story. Another charming duo from the author of Dog and Cat Shake a Leg (1996) and Dog and Cat Make a Splash (1997, both Viking).-Maura Bresnahan, Shawsheen School, Andover, MA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this breezy entry in the Easy-to-Read series, Turtle and Snake rise from their different beds and go to work, the former as a crossing guard, the latter in a pizza parlor. Spohn (Dog and Cat Make a Splash, 1997, etc.) sticks to short, sometimes repetitive sentences and phrases, and keeps the art simple and uncluttered. The plots involving the two friends are very basic, building to twin climaxes. After work, the friends unwind over a pizza and walk home. It's a good discussion starter on the theme of work, and children will chuckle over Snake's "no hands" pizza technique. (Picture book. 4-6) .