You Can Read

by Helaine Becker, Mark Hoffmann, Christian Down (Narrator)

Presented in light-hearted, rib-tickling verse that's perfect for enjoying aloud, You Can Read sings it loud and Books are awesome. And so are the people who listen to them.

In this fun and funny celebration of literacy, kids of all ages will discover that the act of reading is a daring adventure that can take you anywhere! You can read at the playground, under the sea, at the opera and even in outer space! It turns out you can read everywhere! And when you do, you open yourself to a universe of adventure.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Books About Books, Storytime, Fiction, Humor, Realistic Fiction

Audible Audio

First published February 28, 2017

About the author

Helaine Becker has written over 70 books, including the #1 National bestseller, A Porcupine in a Pine Tree,and its sequel, Dashing through the Snow, Sloth at the Zoom, Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, the Looney Bay All-Stars chapter book series, non-fiction including Counting on Katherine, Worms for Breakfast and Zoobots (all Junior Library Guild Selections), Monster Science, You Can Read, Lines Bars and Circles, and Boredom Blasters, plus many picture books and young adult novels. She also writes for children’s magazines and for children's television. Her show Dr. Greenie's Mad Lab was a finalist at MIP.com Junior in Cannes.
She has won the Lane Anderson Award for Science Writing for Children twice,once for The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea and once for The Insecto-Files, and the Picture Book of the Year Award from the Canadian Booksellers Association for A Porcupine in a Pine Tree. She has also won three Silver Birch awards and a Red Cedar award.

Helaine Becker holds U.S. and Canadian citizenship. She attended high school in New York, university in North Carolina (Go Blue Devils!!!!) and now lives in Toronto with her husband and dog, Ella. She has two really handsome sons.

Reviews

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read sends out a really good message to kids that you can read anywhere, that reading is good. Illustrations are also nice and rhyming is fun. There was no period at the end of the sentence and all it is written in all-caps but I ignored it. I was quite liking it until it said You can read walking down the street, I don't think that's the message we should be spreading. A good message overall.

3 stars

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOOOOOO CUTE

[Isabella]

Me encanta cuando vienen mis primos y les puedo leer, es un libro tierno y las ilustraciones son muy lindas.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: You can read in the classroom. You can read in the park. You can read on a mission under cover in the dark.

Premise/plot: You Can Read celebrates reading books anywhere and everywhere. It rhymes, and in a good way.

My thoughts: The text of the book is in all-caps. I found this very annoying to read. But even more annoying is the disturbing lack of periods. There is not a single period in the whole book. (I couldn't help adding periods into the text I quoted above. I just couldn't present it the way it is in the book.) (Two sentences end in exclamation points.) If this book were getting graded by a first grade teacher, it would lose a lot of points. (The students in the first grade class might love it because of the illustrated underwear.)

That being said, the text of the book itself isn't bad. The message is a good one. I LOVE books. (Everybody knows that I love books.) I wanted to love, love, love it. The illustrations were not my style at all.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 1 out of 5
Total: 5 out of 10

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is basically just a celebration of reading, written in rhyme. Spoiler alert: You can read anywhere! That's the basic gist of the whole book.

The illustrations are not really my thing. I also found them a bit confusing at the end. Throughout the book, we see the titles of the books the characters are reading. They're not meant to be read as part of the rhyming text, though. So on the penultimate page, when the characters' books are part of the rhyming verse, it really threw me. I didn't read those words as part of the text the first time, so I thought there was half a verse missing!

Kids who are really in love with reading might appreciate this more than a general audience. For me, it was just okay.

[Raymond Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like to book though I don't believe one should read under the sea. The book will get wet.

[Ashley Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short poem honoring readers who will read any time, anywhere!

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5. Great ode to the love of reading. Not much story, but it shows with a touch of humor, that you can (and probably should) read anywhere, because reading is great. Perfect for books lover who wants to share their love with young ones or future reader!

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true gem of a story. It's funny text and vivid graphics make this book a wonderful addition to your collection.

[Amy Brydon Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for children who may be struggling in KS1 with reading for pleasure. The language is simple and easy to follow, but it just goes to show children the power of reading.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

This charming book is a quick reminder for my crew that they can read. That their parents can read. That most members of their communities can read. That the best futures ahead will need to be populated by confident, thorough and careful readers.

Kudos to them for continuing daily practice reading, honing their curiosity to a sharp point and polishing their communication skills, while exercising their imaginations every waking moment.

A perfect appetizer for our read today.

[Steve Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a new book that's simple and to the point. It's about how everyone can read everywhere, and it celebrates the love of having a book and a spot to read it. I love the sentiment, and it's a perfect tale to put in front of a child as summer begins - because summer makes for a perfect time to read! The illustrations are simple, but fun, and I can foresee this one having some extended life with libraries and book clubs in primary rooms because it's a very easy read for young students.

[Alice Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this very simple book about the pleasure of reading and how it is something that can be done anywhere! I would share this book in an assembly and then hold a competition where children have to take a photo of them reading in an interesting place. It could be used during a reading-themed week.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Falls flat and illustrations are scary. I was hoping for much more from this book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever book that highlights all of the places you can read. Perfect to build a love of reading in students and to launch summer reading. You can literally read ANYWHERE!!!

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the message this book sends - you can read anywhere so long as you read! Should be a staple in every classroom!

[LeeTravelGoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best 1 min book ever 💚💚💚!!!

[~My Book Obsession~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read for kids. Help them get excited about reading. My kids liked it. I think it’s a great way to start reading lesson. Read this book and ask questions like where would you read? What would you? Just something quick and fun to get them in the mood for reading lessons

[watermelonreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

a very quick read about where we can read books! the possibilities are endless and i adore how it sometimes rhymes too / im weak for stuff that rhymes/

[Wardah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is so cute and fun. I love the message (as you can see from the title!)

[Maude Fleurent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plus pour les yeux que pour le texte.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, cute and simple book on books for kids.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for the recommendation”E”. This will be a great book to share with young students.

[Laura Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book that encourages children to read, and why it’s good to. Within the illustrations there are often humorous titles books that relate to the text of the page. While this book offers little to pull apart, the accessibility and rhyme make the book easy to read, therefore may help to encourage reluctant young readers who need to see the benefits. This could be used as a shared read to open up questions about why everyone reads, and what sort of books they enjoy. This discussion would then help teachers to become informed of children’s book preferences in an organic way to help recommend texts to them they they may enjoy to build enthusiasm for reading and reading for pleasure.

[Mr Bramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this little book; it’s a very sweet and interactive story that shares the joys of reading in a humorous and relatable way.

The story rhymes, which is always an added bonus for any book meant to engage children, and shows many scenes that will get children talking: from space to the playground.

The book is wonderfully inclusive, using places from around the world, and even including illustrations of a reader using Braille as the highlight of a double page spread.

A great talking piece for children in classrooms to get into thinking about the purpose of books and reading for pleasure!

[Joseph Ghione · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helaine Becker created a delightful warm-hearted picture book on the many places you could read. The adventures of where you could read vary from being under the sea, at school, in your underwear, and even in space with charming vibrant pictures that are perfect to inspire students to be open minded to learning anywhere! This book would be a perfect open read aloud to start the day for students to create a positive environment at any point of the day!

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a story line but tells children they can read in different places and the print is in big capital letters to help even the earliest of reader decipher the words. Muted tones in illustrations and easy read for K-2nd grade readers. A read aloud the kids can read with the teacher or parent reading to them.

[Great Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this charming celebration of books and reading, discover the many places to go on a reading adventure from the park and the classroom to under the sea and outer space. As the back cover notes: "Books are awesome. And so are the people who read them."
Reviewer 1

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute reminder that we can read anywhere. It will surely be a hit with the elementary crowd since it has two of their favorites, the word underwear and a character going to the bathroom. This book would be a good resource for reading engagement mini-lessons.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helaine Becker and Mark Hoffman have created a fun book for beginning readers to explore all the ways and places a person can read: In the classroom, in a park, on a mission, in the dark! You can even read while walking down the street but watch where you step! Uh, oh. for ages 4 - 7.