- Fits national reading standards by linking images to the text to provide picture clues and introducing age-appropriate vocabulary. - Top reading specialists have leveled this text as appropriate for emergent readers. - The repetitive language, structure, and rhyming patterns help children decipher words. - Word lists at the back of each book help build reading vocabularies. Grades K-4 National Social Studies Standards - People, Places, and Environments: III - Examine the interaction between humans and their physical environment - Individual Development and Identity: IV - Describe personal connections to place, especially immediate surroundings - Identify and describe ways family, groups, and community influence the individual's daily life and personal choices.