Postal Workers

Children's Literature - Jacki Vawter

A grandmother's birthday is the inducement for a homemade greeting to travel all the way across the country via the postal system. We read about what is required for the greeting to reach grandmother. From the post office stamp to the collection of mail to the processing center to the airplane, grandmother's card is on its way. We are introduced to letter carriers once the card reaches the postal station near grandmother. More attention is given postal workers who are letter carriers than postal workers doing the sorting and coding in processing centers. Another troubling aspect of the book is the lack of a good illustration to help the reader understand what is written about a code of dots and bars to enhance sorting. The drawings do not enhance the text. The end of this book fizzles. Part of the "In My Neighborhood" series.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Bourgeois combines fact and fiction to create two appealing vignettes about the work of familiar community members. Police Officers follows the story of a little girl who reports a suspected bike theft in progress. An ensuing explanation of the judicial process includes an arrest; a court trial; and the function of a lawyer, a judge, and a district attorney. The book also profiles the careers of police officers and covers their typical duties and equipment. It concludes with safety tips. Similarly, Postal Workers follows a birthday card from a little boy to his Grandma as it travels across the country. The author explains how to address, stamp, and mail a letter; the purpose of zip codes, postal-carrier equipment, and mail-sorting machines; and profiles a day in the life of a postal worker. A positive image of both fields emerges within the framework of believable stories. The illustrations make use of soft colors, round lines, and humor to create warm characters in an attractive layout. Multicultural characters are represented, and both books are gender sensitive.-Paul Kelsey, East Baton Rouge Parish Public Library, LA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.