River Dog

River Dog is a recount by Adam, a boy with a paralyzing fear of water.  In a daring rescue of an elderly lady, Adam plunges into the river.  Just as panic is about to overtake him, the lady’s little dog shows him how to dog paddle. The style is friendly and conversational.

The text is composed of a variety of sentence types.  Illustrations support the text but not all events are illustrated.  Bold face and italic are used for emphasis.  Ellipses add drama.  The book concludes with a two-page spread that tells how to write a recount.

Some words may require clarification: morphed, conquer, churned, valiantly, plummeted.  Similes: like a frightened barnacle, like a panicked penguin.  Metaphors: rainbow of tents, my legs were frozen solid, wrapped in frosty chains.  Alliteration: canvas cave, panicked penguin, slithered and slid.

This title is from the Sails Literacy series. Hook readers and ignite their curiosity - over 700 levelled texts with bright, colourful, sophisticated designs.