Sydney & Simon Go Green!

Reviewed by: Cathy Potter - Falmouth Elementary School, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 10, 2016

Review

Peter and Paul Reynolds are known for their picture books about creativity. This time the brothers have teamed up to create an early chapter book about the environment that is part of a new series featuring mice characters, Sydney and Simon. While on a field trip to the aquarium, Sydney learns about how trash harms sea turtles. Sydney enlists the help of her brother, Simon, to write and record a song about reducing trash and going green.

The whimsical illustrations and size of the book (similar to a leveled-reader) may be deceiving for young readers. There is a considerable amount of text on each page, and the complex vocabulary (ex: biodegradable, decomposing, and percussion) could make the story challenging for emerging readers. The book might work better as a read aloud in a classroom or at bedtime. Despite the didactic nature of the story, students will enjoy the story of how two people (or mice) can have a big impact on the world.

Overall Book Score: good