Leslie Tryon

Gus is an aspiring tap dancer. He can't afford tap shoes so he has created thumbtack shoes which make tip-a-tap rap-a-slap noises as he dances through each day. The teacher at the tap studio won't let him dance there until he has real dance shoes. This does not deter Gus from dancing down the streets, where he is offered a coin from an admiring bystander. This gives Gus an idea, and it just might help him earn his much desired tap shoes.

The story moves along easily and the illustrations are chock full of details and activities that engage young (and older) readers. It even has the recipe for Albert's famous pumpkin pizza dessert! This is a fun story for kids and parents alike…although parents are more likely to relate to the flurry of activity and chuckle at the PTA president's leadership style.

To read our full review (complete with the kids' opinions!) go to The Reading Tub®.

I like the creative building in this cute alphabet book!

This story is about a class getting ready for a Thanksgiving feast at their school, but everyone is so busy getting ready for it that Patsy Pig asks her friend for help. Over the course of the day before the feast Patsy Pig writes numerous letters to her friend Albert asking him to do many of the tasks that still needed to be done for the Thanksgiving feast. Unfortunately, Albert gets so busy doing all the things for Patsy Pig that he doesn't get his job done for the day. Thankfully, Patsy show more Pig returned the favor to help Albert and their Thanksgiving feast was a huge success! show less