Customer Reviews

Spot's First Walk

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Eric Hill's 1981 `Spot' book by Eric Hill contains his signature large black font; big, bright pictures; and look-under-the flap surprises so prevalent in this series. These elements, along with some adventure, humor, and the loveable yellow Spot make this an appealing book for young audiences and beginning readers.

After his mom, Sally, warns Spot to watch out on his journey, Spot's first walk results in surprises (often hidden under the flaps), mildly dangerous situations (a cat snarls at the young, innocent Spot), new scents (colorful garden populated by a butterfly and two bees, and new friends. In the denouement, a fish (under a flap) warns Spot not to fall into the pond from which he is about to drink. The next page shows a soaked, but safe Spot heading back home. In another nice humorous touch, Sally asks Spot what he's been doing. The wet Spot, with flower, vegetable, and bone souvenirs of his first walk beside him, replies," Nothing." 24 pages long, with fairly sturdy flaps that should withstand nightly use for some time.

This is one of my 16-month-old's favorites. I'm impressed with how durable the flaps are for a children's book, as she's been unable to pull them off thus far. She's even started saying the cute little phrases under some of the flaps as she lifts them. Great book!

I'm putting only 4 stars because this book is no nobel prize or anything, so I don't want people to expect the best in children litterature :)
But it's one of my son's (2 1/2 year-old) favorite books. He has memorized every page and will sit there on his own going through the book and telling the story. The sentences are very simple (3-4 word sentences that a 2 year old can easily repeat) and the flaps add to the interactive experience. Obviously we also read this book with him and it's an occasion for silly questions and a lot of fun. We own a few other of these Spot lift-the-flap books, and we all like them a lot. I can see our toddler reading them to our baby when he's older :)

when your toddler is in the stage where they are making three word sentences, Spot is perfect for them. like Maisey, the graphics are bold and simple. The plot line, if we may call it a plot, is also simple. This happened, this happened, this happened, and then everything was all right.