Review Detail

EVA AND THE NEW TEACHER is a charming and highly illustrated story about Eva the owl. Eva and her class have found out that they will be getting a new teacher. They are very sad and nervous about what their new teacher will be like and sad to see their current teacher leave. As they meet the new teacher, they begin to learn that sometimes new things can be good too.

What I loved: This book/series is perfect for advancing independent readers who are just starting to move into chapter books. There are relatively few lines of text on each page, with large, full color illustrations and graphic novel type panels. The dialogue bubbles help to tell the story through the images and keep the pages moving quickly to keep young readers from getting overwhelmed.

The book format is like a diary, and just as in a diary, the story talks about emotions and worries. This is great for young readers who can empathize and relate to feelings around something new - and see those concerns allayed for Eva and friends. The level of emotions and ways that she deals with them is great for the early elementary age group, and the messages will really resonate well.

The illustrations are fantastic with lots of color, detail, and storytelling throughout. They tell the story as much as the framing text, and this helps young readers to gain confidence and enjoy visually exploring the story while they also read the words. The font is large and clear, and as a diary, the words are written on lines, which also helps young readers to follow along.

Final verdict: With strong themes and fantastic illustrations, EVA AND THE NEW TEACHER is an engaging chapter book that is perfect for young elementary school independent readers.