Near and Far

Children's Literature

In a simple rhyming text, Doudna introduces the differences between near and far. The pictures and text feature everyday objects or scenes, which enables kids to get help and reinforcement from the pictures. The closing pages list the words in alphabetical order and grouped by parts of speech. There is a cross-reference to the pages where the words appear. There is also a picture list and a compilation of word families—words that have the same vowel and ending letters. Part of the SandCastle collection, this series of six nonfiction books is entitled "Opposites." It is a level two book, which means that there are five to ten words per page. 2000, ABDO, $18.50. Ages 5 to 6. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot