Other Sesame Street books: Food! by Cookie Monster Sesame Subjects: My First Book about Farms Sesame Beginnings: It's Naptime, Little One Happy Healthy Monsters: Squeaky Clean (All About Hygiene) Sesame Beginnings: Potty Time! Sesame Street Baby Party! Sesame Street: Baby Play!   Elmo and His Friends: Brand New Readers (Sesame Street Books) by Sesame Workshop, illustrated by Tom Brannon Ages 4-7 48 pages Candlewick February 2011 Paperback     If you are looking for a good book for a beginning reader, look no further. The four simple stories here feature Elmo, Big Bird, and other members of the Sesame Street gang. Half the size of a regular book, Elmo and His Friends fits easily in a child’s lap and can be easily held. Parents will discover suggestions on how to make a first-time reader comfortable with the text, and there are recommendations on how to help your child deal with any difficult words. Each story begins with a short, two-sentence introduction that outlines the plot. Key words are repeated in each story, and the simple sentences are easily managed. Some of the key vocabulary introduces colors such as red and yellow and opposites such as up and down and big and small. Once you have read this book with your child, you’ll discover that your child will want to return to it again and again to show you that he or she can, indeed, do it him- or herself.     web reviews   Bob Walch/2011 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)