To properly read this book, which discusses various jobs, adults recite the left-hand text while kids read from the facing one, which features simpler, large-font text. The shared-reading format has potential, but it's thwarted here: the incomplete and randomly ordered descriptions of jobs grow monotonous. Staged photos of kids and adults at work and play appear throughout.

K-Gr 1-Each book features a page on the left for adults to read and a simpler text for children on the right. Together, the two narratives tell a story or provide information about a specific topic. Grow Up has full-color photographs of people holding different jobs. The text seems complex for beginning readers, and picture clues do not always match it. The adult text also seems too lengthy to engage most young readers. Frank is a story about a frog and his friends whose ball lands in a giant's house. As it turns out, the giant is a friendly human boy. This text is much simpler and shorter than that in the first book. Picture clues on the child's page allow even the most inexperienced reader to figure out the correct word or phrase. Large, colorful cartoon characters and objects appear on uncluttered white backgrounds. This innovative reading idea is sure to please parents, but careful consideration of a child's reading ability and interests should be taken into account when selecting books from this series.-Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KS Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.