Arthur's Pen Pal by Lillian Hoban

Arthur annoyed by his little sister and babysitter glorifies his new pen pal. When he finds out his pen pal is a tough girl not a boy, he begins to realize his sister isn't so bad.

An I Can Read Book written for a level two reader. The book does not contain chapters but the text and illustrations are large enough to not leave a child overwhelmed. The actions Arthur and his sister go through are common to a young reader and what isn't is covered by the illustration. The text lines up on the left side and is not indented helping train the child's eye to start at the left each time.

Hoban, L. (1976). Arthur's pen pal. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN: 0060223723
Illustrated by the author

Rickie & Henri by Jane Goodall

Rickie, an orphaned chimpanzee, rescued from a Congolese market by a man who brings her home and Rickie struggles to adapt to this very different world. She learns to love the man and Henri, the dog. As she grows too large, she is taken to a chimpanzee sanctuary. Illustrations are beautifully done and can really feel Rickie's emotions throughout the story.

I am a great admirer of Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall so seeing Jane's name on this book I immediately picked it up. Rickie's mother is killed in front of her and Rickie is shot in the process. I was surprised at that in a picture book designed for easy readers. American children might be upset by this turn of events depending on how protective their parents are in reading materials. Overall, Rickie's story is too important to not tell. Perhaps educating children early will help instill a value for animals/conservation early on. Jane also writes a postscript describing Rickie's status today and information on the chimpanzee sanctuary.

Goodall, J. (2004). Rickie and henri. New York, NY: Penguin Young Readers Group.
ISBN: 069840002X
Illustrated by Alan Marks