Tippy and the Night Parade by Lilli Carré

It’s something about a heartbroken fox who goes searching for the missing body part in the sea, chasing the shark and seagull playing keep-away with it. Rowe’s cut-paper images are interesting but don’t exactly lend themselves to a coherent story. I was pretty confused by what was going on here. And both boys and girls are shown participating with the worms, a nice touch. For instance, worms don’t have eyes, lungs, or bones - but they have extra hearts! McCloskey’s tone of silly enthusiasm is contagious, and We Dig Worms! answers common questions about this weird being, including why they come out after the rain. Instead, what I found most interesting about this book, non-fiction with a bunch of facts about the title creatures, is that it was painted on recycled paper bags, which makes the pink worms really pop against the faded tan background.įor a level one book, there’s a surprising amount of detailed information about worm anatomy, how they survive, and how useful they are. I don’t get the fascination with dirt and yucky stuff many kids have, but I know it’s there.

It would be fun to talk with them about the different beasts shown and which ones they’d like to see. Tippy and the Night Parade is an attractive, classically done simple tale, particularly good for kids who love animals. Tippy’s daytime pages are done in burnt orange, while the night are a lovely deep smokey blue. She picks up a parade of followers as she goes, with a wide variety of settings and creatures pictured. Then we get to see just what Tippy does on her “nightly stroll”, wandering past a fisherman, through the garden, across the pond, and down to the forest. She can’t provide an explanation when her mother asks, but they work together to clean up before she settles down again for the evening. Tippy wakes up in her bedroom, but it’s scattered with animals and the debris they’ve left behind. It’s imaginative, clever, and rewards rereading to catch all the details. That’s why, of this batch, this was my favorite. (The publisher provided some of the following as review copies.) Tippy and the Night ParadeĪdults aren’t the audience for these books, obviously, but a lot of adults will wind up reading them to kids, and they’ll prefer the ones that don’t make them crazy or bored. We Dig Worms! came out this past spring the others last year and the year before. They’re recommended for those age 3-8 or approximately kindergarten and first grade. Level 1 are “first comics for brand new readers” that feature few images, short sentences, simple vocabulary, and easy-to-understand premises.

Toon Books ranks its publications, which are aimed at young readers, according to reading level, to make it easier for educators, librarians, and parents to find the right books.

Tippy and the Night Parade by Lilli Carré