Buster and the Great Swamp (Passport to Reading: Level 2 (Pb)) - Hardcover

Marc Brown is the creator of the bestselling Arthur Adventure book series and codeveloper of the #1 children's PBS television series, Arthur. He has also created a second book series, featuring D.W., Arthur's little sister, as well as numerous other books for children. Marc Brown lives with his family in Hingham, Massachusetts and Martha's Vineyard.

Grade 1-3–Three beginning-reader tie-ins to the PBS show Postcards from Buster. Swamp, a level-two title, takes Buster to the Bayou in Louisiana, while in Wave, a level-one book, he tries surfing in Florida. In Walls, a level-three story, he goes rock climbing in Colorado. The combination of snapshots of kids participating in the activities discussed layered on top of Brown's illustrations is effective. However, the fact that the children to whom Buster is speaking are never shown is confusing, and the texts are choppy and stilted. All of the books begin with Buster packing for his trip while he talks to Arthur and end with a postcard to his new friends describing something he is doing at home that relates to his adventure. This tacked-on device seems trite. The covers are appealing and the topics are high interest. Unfortunately, the selections try to do too much. Children will pick them up because of the appeal and success of previous books and the television show, but the stories are unlikely to hold their attention. Stick with the original picture books about Arthur.–Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WI
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