Teachers Help Us Learn

School Library Journal

PreSThese slim volumes support the community-helper curriculum but they are severely flawed. Full-page, full-color photographs illustrate the minimal texts. In Astronauts, the writing is not up to the quality of the NASA-provided photographs. The author relies heavily on the use of onomatopoeia: "Astronauts take care of the shuttle and all its parts. CLICK! CLICK!" "This astronaut does experiments with the machine. ZZZZZ! POP!" "Astronauts on the ground talk to astronauts in the shuttle. YAKITY! YAK!" Teachers takes children through a school day and the instructors they may encounter: the classroom teacher and those who conduct classes in music, art, and physical education. There is no librarian. The language is stilted as in, "A student teacher helps teachers." Pass on these titles.Lisa Von Drasek, Bank Street College Library, New York City