Gr 1-3
This series points out the necessity of using good manners in a variety of situations. Though the word "manners" is not defined, the text is easy to read, and is surrounded by plenty of white space. Scenarios are presented-the phone rings, a waitress arrives to take an order, a new student wants to join in a playground game-and readers are invited to consider how they would respond. Behaviors explored in the narrative are listed numerically in a review section at the end. Appealing cartoons appear on one side of each spread, and the multiethnic characters' features are exaggerated and/or off-kilter, creating a humorous appearance. While few children would choose to read these books on their own, these titles will be useful and effective as part of a classroom character-education study or to help model better manners.
