Oh, How I Wished I Could Read!

This story is presented in an amusing way. It captures "real life" scenarios through its illustrations that most students can relate to. However, the message of this adventurous character is a serious one. The little boy ,without a name, could be any boy or girl that experiences difficulties in everyday life because he or she cannot read signs, messages, etc. Thus, the meaningful message is that reading is really necessary. The "bad dream" of not being able to read does not have to become a "nightmare". The ending leaves the listener and the reader with a sense of empowerment if they can already read and leaves the emergent reader with purpose and hope for learning to read.Teacher Note: This book is a must for your classroom library. Place it on your beginning of the year reading list. Preschoolers, kindergarteners, first graders, and struggling second graders can all benefit and be encouraged from the practical uses of knowing how to read. The author and illustrator study of Mr. Gile and Mr. Fiorello will lend themselves to positive classroom discussions.

I really liked this book because it shows children, in a fun way, why it is important for them to know how to read. To be safe, children need to know how to read signs, to know where there is potential danger. That's only a small part of the importance of functional literacy, but a very important one.