Arnie the Brave

This was my first introduction to the "all aboard reading" series. It is terrific. This book is about a little mouse that decides he wants to be a sailor. He dresses the part, then takes a broom and sheet and makes himself a boat. Twin skunks come up and quiz him about the terrors of the sea: waves, sharks, pirates. To each he imagines them and replies, no, I'm not afraid. The skunks are amazed at his bravery. Then he decides he needs one more thing--his mommy. With his mommy around, he will be even braver.The story isn't the only great thing about this book. The book is written in simple sentences that use pictures for some words. Even the younger readers can help read this book. If they don't know what some of the pictures are, it is a great vocabulary builder. At the back of the book, the picture words are put on flashcards. Kids can practice actually reading the words or getting used to seeing how the pictures look in letters. I love this book and think it is a must in beginning readers' libraries.