Suitabook13 words
Lemony Snicket, Maira Kalman
- Reading
- Read it together at an unhurried pace: invite your child to guess unfamiliar words from the pictures, then enjoy the surprising details without needing to explain every one.
- Themes
- Friendship and cheering someone up: A dog tries to cheer a despondent bird, including by seeking a hat for her. The story centres on an attempt to help a friend, but the bird’s sadness remains.
- Words and their effects: Thirteen words, from “bird” to “mezzo-soprano”, organise the story and its unusual scenes. The book puts individual words in the foreground and invites attention to their sounds and meanings.
- Worth knowing
- The bird is described as despondent and does not stop feeling that way despite the new hat. Consider whether that ongoing sadness suits your child’s reading mood.