School Safety

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4In these two series titles, Pickles and Roy, dogs dressed in human clothes, guide readers through vital safety information. The texts are clear, concise, and comprehensive. Emergencies is especially thorough, providing instructions for many different situations. However, anthropomorphic pictures, such as one depicting a fox in human clothes dunking a burned tail in water as first aid for a minor burn, detract from the importance of the message. The serious subject of the treatment of trauma-induced shock is represented by a shivering pig. Of the two titles, School Safety has the more successful combination of illustration and text. It includes specific instructions on how to board, ride, and exit a school bus. One particularly effective page shows glasses being knocked off a bunny's face as a puppy uses a jump rope without checking to see if anyone is behind him. Bold type highlighting words in the glossary is also a plus. In a school with few materials on safety, these titles would be acceptable, albeit not superlative, additions.Jackie Hechtkopf, Talent House School, Fairfax, VA