DK Readers: Duckling Days (Level 1: Beginning to Read) [Paperback]

Karen Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: DK READERS

This Level 1 book is appropriate for children who are just beginning to read.

Six ducklings follow mother duck everywhere. One day soon they'll have to stand on their own webbed feet! For children who are just beginning to read and who have a limited vocabulary, these 32-page Level 1 books-about everything from tadpoles to puppies-use word repetition and simple sentences to convey meaning. Picture dictionary boxes with word labels "show" the meanings of words. These books contain between 400 and 450 words each, and they are 80 percent pictures and 20 percent text. The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 1. With clear, close-up color photographs in the DK style, this attractive title in the Eyewitness Readers series conveys a lot of information through a simple story. A mother duck builds her nest and lays her eggs. Six ducklings hatch out ("At first their legs are weak and wobbly"), they paddle in the water with their webbed feet, and one young duck is happy being on his own. The page design is spacious, with a generous amount of white space around the free-standing pictures. The text includes some repetition to encourage new readers, and on each double-page spread, a key word is boxed with a small picture. Children will see that facts and words are fun. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

"Best of all, these books are fun to read. The stories are well written and focus on subjects that interest kids." -Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"DK Publishing has been a leader in introducing children to nonfiction. Their new Eyewitness Readers are true to form." -Boston Globe

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN (May 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789439948
• ISBN-13: 978-0789439949
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 4.4 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,179,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Series > Early Reader > Dorling Kindersley Readers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful ducklings, January 11, 2001

By 

Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DK Readers: Duckling Days (Level 1: Beginning to Read) (Hardcover)

"Duckling Days," by Karen Wallace, chronicles the life of a family of ducks in a format geared towards beginning readers. The book combines a very simple text with colorful photographs. A "picture word list," consisting of vocabulary words accompanied by photographs that portray what the words stand for ("nest," "egg," etc.), is included at the end of the book.

The "river" in which the family lives looks artificial--like a zoo exhibit--but I doubt that this element will bother the young readers towards whom the book is directed. The photographs depict the ducklings hatching, taking their first steps, and swimming with their mother. And let's face it: ducklings, like most baby animals, have a built-in appeal! Overall, "Duckling Days" is a charming book with positive educational value.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Science... But No Way It's for Beginning Readers - a review of 'Duckling Days', February 14, 2006

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: DK Readers: Duckling Days (Level 1: Beginning to Read) (Paperback)

Scholastic does a fine job with these Eyewitness Readers. The photo's are fantastic and books are generally chocked full of information for small fry. For example, in this book young children will be able to `really' see a duck webbed feet, how the nests are made of small twigs, and how the soft down from mama is used to lines the nest. There is also a two page section of the book that shows a duckling breaking and squeezing out of it's shell.

Great stuff. And I certainly wouldn't limit it's audience. Despite the fact that this book is listed as being appropriate for the 4 to 8 age range, I think that you could just as easily use it with older babies, toddlers and preschoolers. There is just a lot of fun content here.

Beginning reader??
Level 1 is supposed to be for preschoolers up to first graders. My kindergartener reads fairly well, but I am pretty sure that she and her friends are not all that well acquainted with words such as: gathers, hollow, downy, twitters, nibbles, branch, answer, tadpoles, pondweed, or dabble. But take a look at the pages supplied by the Amazon Look inside this book feature and judge for yourself.

Four Stars. Excellent book for children from baby on up. The pictures are simple great and offer a lot of information. In my opinion not a beginning reader, but it's not all that difficult either. (Late 1st Grade level??) Good addition for the home shelves at this price.