How to Read a Story by Kate Messner (review)

A little boy and his dog demonstrate Messner’s ten brief steps of reading a story aloud. Steps include selecting a story (the boy’s book is about a princess, a robot, and a dragon), a reading buddy, and a “cozy reading spot”; making predictions about the book; reading aloud with clarity and expression; decoding unknown words; finishing with a triumphant, “The End”; and “if it was a really good story …go right back to the beginning and start all over again.” This isn’t so much about the skill set as the process, and it works well as an entertaining and educational introduction and overview to the experience of tackling a new book. The narration balances gentle guidance (“Read the story in a loud, clear voice, not too slow and not too fast”) with a kid’s-eye sense of what’s enjoyable (“Make sure your reading buddy is nice and snuggly”). Messner draws on the boy’s chosen book to make concrete some of the suggestions; for example, when predicting “what might happen next,” she offers the following questions the boy might pose: “Will the castle catch on fire? Will the princess tame the dragon? Will the robot marry the princess?” Siegel’s sunny ink and watercolor illustrations are casual but controlled; copious white space gives a clean look and allows space for kids to ponder both pictures and text. This could work nicely as part of a book-or reading-themed storytime, but it will be of most use in an educational setting, where it can be shared and referred to as a guide.