May I Please Have a Cookie? (Scholastic Reader Level 1 Series)

Alfie loves his mommy's cookies, and he wants one more than anything! But grabbing for one, fishing for one, and dressing up as a cookie inspector don't seem to work. His mommy says there is a better way. What is it?

Beginning readers will learn proper manners with Alfie as his mommy teaches him to say the magic words.

Alfie loves his mommy's cookies, and he wants one more than anything! But grabbing for one, fishing for one, and dressing up as a cookie inspector don't seem to work. His mommy says there is a better way. What is it? Beginning readers will learn proper manners with Alfie as his mommy teaches him to say the magic words.

Children's Literature

Alfie the alligator's mommy has just baked cookies and Alfie loves cookies. He loves their smell, their appearance, but most of all their taste. However, when the young reptile rudely grabs for the sweets still warm from the oven, his mommy takes that passionate moment to attempt to instill manners by asking her impulsive son if he knows of a better way to get a cookie. There follows ingenious and devious methods employed by the youngster to get his hands on the now iced temptations. From wearing a disguise to hoisting himself into a tree and lowering an arm of theft into the very kitchen window, Alfie meets with no success. Eventually dissolving in tears, the winsome child learns from his mom's patient and wise example just how he should go about getting the tender morsel. Beginning readers will enjoy the antics of the little fellow while identifying with his plight. Simple vocabulary and expressive pictures enable the first or second grader to achieve the goal of reading on his or her own while learning of love, patience, creativity, and etiquette. A memorable activity to culminate this brief story would be cookie baking, while humor could be added by role playing. This book is at level one of the "Beginning Reader" series. Reviewer: Janice DeLong