Starting Out
Set of 12 titles
Celebrating a young child's first experience learning about the creatures, people, and objects in their environment, Starting Out narrates the tale of the modern world through a child's eyes. This series employs simple language and a unique first-person perspective to introduce foundational physical concepts as it follows the adorable animal, fascinating person, or cool vehicle through the basic building blocks of their days. The straightforward text and large photos of the subject in its natural environment will both entertain and enlighten as readers learn how the subject's physical features, activities, and surroundings play a role in what makes it so special. This series is also available in a Spanish edition.
| Interest Level | Preschool - Grade 2 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Kindergarten |
| Dewey Number | 621.8-629.22 |
| Lexile | 320L-440L |
| ATOS Reading Level | |
| Guided Reading Level | D |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Creative Education |
|---|---|
| Format | Reinforced book |
| ISBN | F24CREA43 |
| Copyright | 2025 |
| Number of Pages | |
| Dimensions | |
| Graphics | Full-color photographs |
SLJ Review of Starting Out
Young gearheads will go gaga for this emerging reader series. The giant semis in Big Rigs are accompanied by a surprising amount of information packed into the tidy 16 pages, including a description of what the plate called the fifth wheel is for. Each spread includes two sentences with sight words and decodables, plus occasional fun fact sentences included in circular callouts. The spreads are highly visual, with the photos labeled to help readers identify the parts of each machine. Each book concludes with a “Make a Noise” section, which encourages readers to head to a YouTube link to listen to the sounds of the vehicle. This could be problematic in school and public library settings where filters on computers limit access to the video site. For readers working on comprehension, this series will be a welcome sight on library shelves. VERDICT A recommended addition for all libraries.
School Library Journal
Booklist Review of Starting Out
With crisp photos, colorful lettering, and a clean design, these new additions to the Starting Out: Vehicles series (12 new titles) can’t help but catch the eye. Each volume opens with an image of its featured machine set against a white backdrop and with its key parts labeled. Four double-page spreads then follow the vehicle on the job (or just zooming around), implementing short but descriptive sentences in tandem with full-page and spot photos. Readers visit different construction sites in Cranes, in which loads are lifted, moved, and steadied by cranes on the land and water, as well as from the air. The main text section is always followed by a “Make a Noise” spread, where the vehicle’s sounds (rrrumm! rrrumm!) arc across the pages in a large, colorful font. Each volume has a link to a YouTube video that plays a recording of corresponding engine noises, sirens, etc. and an invitation to the reader to try mimicking the sounds. A short glossary, “Reading Corner” list, and index comprise the back matter.