How Rocket Learned to
Read is a fun and quirky story about a dog that learns the alphabet from a
spunky little yellow bird. Rocket was simply trying to take a nap one afternoon
when a little bird landed on his head and insisted "If I am your teacher, then
you must be my student." Rocket couldn't argue with that logic, so he agreed to
start learning his letters. The story continues in that vein of humor, while
also spelling out simpler words and focusing on the alphabet, so readers learn
right alongside Rocket. The illustrations are beautifully painted, showing
great detail in the individual hairs on Rocket, or each blade of grass. Some
pages are filled to the edges with a colorful scene, while others consists of
one or many smaller pictures against a white background.
Encourage your little one to learn with Rocket by naming the
letters in words that are specifically spelled out. This includes words like:
fall, red, cold, sun, melt, wag, dig, wind, and mud. Rocket even learns how to
spell his friends' names; perhaps your child would like to learn to spell
his or her friends', siblings', or pet's names too. You can also spend some
time discussing why Rocket wanted to learn to read in the first place and brainstorm
reasons your little one should get excited about reading.
When I read this book to my friend Sam he listened so intently I couldn't tell at the end if he liked it or not. When
I asked him what he thought of Rocket's story, Sam responded with, "I want to
read too. Will Snoopy's friend teach me too?" He thought the little yellow bird
that taught Rocket to read was Snoopy's friend, Woodstock!
--Audra