Phoebe Sounds It Out

Phoebe is trying to learn to write her name, but the letters of her name just don't align with what she has learned about letter sounds. However, "Feeeby" is off to a great start.

Simple, bright illustrations and an emphasis on early letter recognition make this a great pick for older toddlers and preschoolers.

I thought this book was very cute and illustrated a common issue for children who have names that are not phonetic. I like the way the teacher accepts Phoebe where she is with writing. I also appreciated that the class appeared to be multicultural. A great book for reading at the beginning of kindergarten.

This is a great find! Kids will be able to relate to Phoebe who finds name writing tough, and parents and teachers alike will be able to appreciate Phoebe's persistence and pride when she sounds out her name! I already have some students and friends in mind who I want to share this book with!

Phoebe Sounds It Out was a cute book about a child named Phoebe who isn't sure how to spell her name. Her teacher tells her to "sound it out" and the book illustrates her thinking about what her name should look like if she sounds it out. This book is great for kids who are worried about how quickly they're learning to read and write properly and helps to assuage their fears in a sweet way. It's a great addition to my classroom library!

Phoebe Sounds It Out by Julie Zwillich is a picturebook currently scheduled for release on April 15 2017. Unfortunately, Phoebe's name doesn’t look quite like it sounds. At school, her classmates practice writing their names, but Phoebe struggles. Her teacher tells her to “just sound it out.” Phoebe doubts herself and procrastinates before resolving to try. Readers are privy to her funny, endearing interior monologue and little-kid rationale as she writes the result: FEEBY.

Phoebe Sounds It Out is a sweet and endearing story that relates the struggles of a young lady trying to sound out her name, which is not spelled like it sounds. Her rationalizations are sound, and she eventually does exactly what her teacher asks of her, she writes her name out just like it sounds. The art work is charming and ads a good amount of details, particularly the frustration and actions of Phoebe as she delays her task and then searches for clues to help her in her task. I enjoyed the fact that the story does not make fun of her struggles, and shows that making the effort and doing your best is the important part, not getting things perfect, or even right, on the first try. I really enjoyed the story, which is particularly relatable to anyone that has struggled with spelling, in particular those of us with first or last names that defy phonetic spelling.

In the age of computers with spell check, spelling is becoming a lost art. Unfortunately, it is still necessary. When Phoebe's class works on writing their names, she tries every avoidance tactic she can think of. You see, her name is not spelled the way it sounds. She has seen her name written, but knows that can't be right. The letter P does not say "f". When Ms. April sings, "Just sound it out" Phoebe finally gives it a try. I love how Julie Zwillich writes about her thought process while looking at the letter chart. She finally comes up with her completed name spelled phonetically and even thought it is not correct, she is still given a smile and made to feel that she accomplished something. A cute story with great illustrations. They show a good example of a classroom without a lot of extraneous items and good expressions on Phoebe's face. A good book for a primary classroom.

~Disclaimer~
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
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Phoebe puts on her rain boot to go to school even though it isn't raining. She decides to call them sun boots instead. When she gets to school her teacher Miss Martha says that they will be learning how to write their names. Instead of writing her name Phoebe keeps getting distracted by other things. "Just sound it out" sings her teacher. So she begins to sounds out her name a write the letters that she hears.
F. E. E. B. Y. When she hands in her name her teacher says "What a great start".
I think that this was a cute book that a lot of children can relate to. When you are learning to write your name is can be hard, especially when you have a name that sounds different from how it's spelled. This can be very frustrating for a child. It's important to let them know that you have to start somewhere and you will get it eventually. I liked how Phoebe doesn't get frustrated in the book. Her teacher also doesn't make a big deal out of her misspelling her name. I really liked that there was diversity in the other children. Too many times a whole book will only depict children of one colour. This book better represents a regular classroom. Children will be able to find someone that look like them in this book. All in all I would recommend this book for children who are learning how to spell.

This is such a cutely drawn book about a girl who has a name that isn't written like it sounds. I loved the message at the end that it's ok to not have things exactly perfect and to make mistakes. Both my sons were interested in the book, so much so that they kept pointing at things in the pictures.