In 1957, Harper published its first I Can Read title, Little Bear, written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Large type, simple vocabulary, chapter-like divisions, and decorative pictures made Little Bear perfect for emerging readers-they could read the story comfortably and not feel overwhelmed by the text. Following suit came such classics as Peggy Parish’s Amelia Bedelia series, Lillian Hoban’s books about Arthur the monkey, and Syd Hoff’s popular Danny and the Dinosaur. Many books in this series are special in the depth of emotion evoked – Little Bear, the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, and Daniel’s Duck by Clyde Bulla, to name a few – and all are enjoyed by children of all ages.
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I have done that for my nieces and my uegdhtar. The only problem is that my uegdhtar’s name is Anabel and we spell it in the Spanish form and most of the books spell her name in the English form Annnabelle. But I have found a chapter book called Annabel the Actress which is only one letter off. Close enough, I guess but it will be a long time before she will read it. The same thing for my niece whose name is Mya, which is more commonly spelled Maya. At least my other’s niece’s name is Alicia.