LIS 721 Reading Response 5 - Beginning & Transitional Books

Level One-

• has 32 pages of bright, colorful artwork to help with comprehension. 
• the text is set in 17-to-20-point type
• there are, on average, five words per line
• the sentences average five to seven words
• the words that are used are largely sight vocabulary or one-syllable words of five letters or fewer
• there are generally two to seven lines per page, with as much as two-thirds of each page used for illustrations and white space
• the illustrations provide plenty of picture clues

Fenske, J. (2021). A pig, a fox, and a box. Random House Children’s Books.
    A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske is a simple and repetitive book with controlled vocabulary, short sentences, and a strong reliance on illustrations for context clues. It is designed for emergent readers. Similar to Mo Willems’s popular Elephant & Piggie, A Pig, a Fox, and a Box is written in rhythm and rhyme. The text in this book appears in color-coded and differently shaped dialogue bubbles as the story is built with a conversation between the two characters. Pig talks in orange squares and Fox talks in green circles. It has 32 pages of bright, colorful artwork to help with comprehension.

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Transitional Books

• has a relatively large typeface
• the number of lines per page averages between 15 to 25
• the number of words per line averages 8 to 12
• the sentences are not broken into shorter lines
• right-hand margins are justified
• plenty of white space with generous margins surrounding each page
• there are frequent full-page black-and-white illustrations but may contain two or three double spreads without illustrations
• the chapters are short and episodic and stand out to the reader
• the vocabulary is simple without too many descriptors or multi-syllabic words
• the sentences are relatively short, direct, and uncomplicated
• its content is compelling enough to hold a child's interest but not so complicated that it is hard to follow.

Bruchac, J. (2022). Rez dogs. Dial Books
    Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac would be classified as a Transitional Book. I struggled with this one because it is not a typical early reader. The themes and story are more mature than most transitional books and there are no illustrations. It is a novel written in the Japanese poetry style called tanka. Tanka is a 31-syllable poem, also called waka or uta, traditionally written in a single unbroken line, though it's better known for its five-line, 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count form. It took me several chapters to realize this pattern, but it made more sense once I did. This book is accessible to developing readers because this type of poetry creates a lot of white space on the page, making it less visually overwhelming. It has relatively simple sentence structures and vocabulary, though slightly more advanced than typical early readers. It is a much longer narrative, 192 pages, but remains approachable due to its format and engaging storytelling. There are 15 chapters, but it’s a good fit for readers who are moving beyond beginner books but still need support before tackling more complex middle-grade novels.

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Hale, S., & Hale, D. (2019). The princess in black. Spotlight, a Division of Abdo.
    The Princess in Black, by Shannon and Dean Hale, fits into

the Transitional Book category because it features short chapters, simple but engaging sentences, and a mix of sight words and more challenging vocabulary. The chapters have bright illustrations that support the text without being necessary for comprehension. It’s ideal for readers who are developing stamina and confidence in independent reading while still benefiting from visual and structural support.

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Pizzoli, G. (2019). The book hog. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

    Again, I struggled with this book because I would categorize The Book Hog, by Greg Pizzoli, as a picture book rather than an early reader. However, it would likely be categorized as a Transitional Book if any. Transitional books bridge the gap between picture books and more complex independent reading. The Book Hog has more sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structures than a typical Level 1–3 reader, but it still relies on illustrations to support comprehension. It’s best suited for children who are beginning to read independently but still benefit from read-aloud support. The illustrations are full-page and engaging, and the vocabulary is simple without too many descriptors or multi-syllabic words.

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Want to peek inside the above books?

A Pig, a Fox, and a Box by Jonathan Fenske 

                        Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac

The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale

The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli