Andy & Sandy's Anything Adventure (Andy & Sandy)

PreS-Gr 2--In a brand-new, not-to-be-missed series for young children, dePaola and Lewis introduce readers to Andy and Sandy. When Andy Met Sandy opens with a boy excited to see an empty playground, but within moments, a girl arrives. The two play independently, confident that the other will not want to be bothered, but after spying the seesaw, they realize playing together could have its advantages, and they become fast friends. In the second installment of the series, Andy and Sandy are playing dress-up on a rainy day. Once again dePaola and Lewis highlight the children making independent costume choices before realizing that teamwork allows them to dress up as a dragon. The authors carefully craft their story to avoid gender stereotypes when assigning each character's costume. The design layout in these early readers is flawless. Wordless spreads show sequencing and slow readers down as they digest the stories. Watercolor illustrations that help readers decode text are expressive and appealing. The repetition of sight words and simple sentence structures surrounded by plenty of white space are ideal for young readers and encourage independent reading. The depth of the stories also make them perfect for shared readings and discussions. VERDICT Andy and Sandy belong in every beginning reader collection.--Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH