Winter Fun!: Brand New Readers    by Various Order:  USA  Can Candlewick, 2010 (2010) Softcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch Here's the ideal kit for the child who is ready to begin reading. This boxed set contains 10 short, funny, full color stories featuring a range of animal characters. Each eight page illustrated adventure begins with a brief story introduction and then a simple narrative of one sentence per page. For example, Edna Bakes Cookies is about how an elephant tries to make cookies and what happens when she tastes the batter. 'Edna puts butter in the bowl. She puts sugar in the bowl. She puts flour in the bowl.' Each action is accompanied by a picture. And, as you can see, there is enough word repetition that the child will quickly grasp the key ideas. At the end of each of the stories, parents will find suggestions on how to help the new reader master the simple text. Accompanying the short stories is a foldout poster with stickers for tracking the books your child has read. There's also a Brand New Reader's certificate of achievement to build a child's confidence and a parent/teacher guide to make sure the adults know how to make this initial reading experience a happy one. Finally, you'll find a blank book which will enable you and your child to create your own picture book. Select a character or two, think of a simple action (going for a walk or washing your hands) and then draw some pictures and jot down some simple sentences describing the act. Now you have your own storybook! Learning to read should be an enjoyable experience. This collection of material will get you off on the right track and make the initial foray into reading fun for everyone. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews