Ivy + Bean: Take Care of the Babysitter

The Ivy + Bean series is probably my favorite transitional chapter book series and the one that I enjoy most reading with my daughters. Writer Annie Barrows and illustrator Sophie Blackall make a perfect team. Barrows' plot lines are engaging and funny, while Blackall's creative illustrations add so much. My daughters both love seeing the pictures, which appear more often than not. Rather than being in a confined space, at times the illustrations flow without boundaries and instead the text adjusts to the picture.

Last night I read the 4th book in the series, Ivy + Bean: Take Care of the Babysitter. Similar to others in the series, Bean and Ivy, along with other neighborhood friends at times, get into some mischief. Initially, a group of neighborhood kids decide that it would be fun to turn a pile of dirt that was just delivered to the house for some work the parents were going to have done in the backyard into a volcano. When they decide that the best option for the lava would be to dig a hole at the top and then have the smallest boy go in there with a hose, he decides to run back home. That is until his older sister stops him and bribes him with some toys and treats. Sophie W.'s parents weren't home to witness all that was happening in the front yard, and after saying that two of the kids could play in the dirt as long as they did not get it in the house, the babysitter is absent, seemingly oblivious that more neighborhood kids have joined in and that chaos is ensuing.

Initially, I thought the title referred to that babysitter. However, then I learned that it actually referred to Nancy, Bean's older sister. Right when they are really getting in to the volcano simulation, Bean's mom calls her home and tells her that she and her dad are going to a play. Since Nancy is 11, she gets to babysit Bean for the first time. Bean is not allowed to leave the house, but she can have Ivy come over. However, since Bean can't play with her friends outside, she is dramatic about the whole experience, saying that she is trapped in her house like a jail. Later when Ivy does come over, Bean sneaks her in. She even thinks about how it is not necessary because her mom gave her permission to come over, but it is more fun for her to act like she has to sneak. It ends up that the volcano was just the start. There is a lot more adventure throughout the book.

Aside from enjoying the illustrations, I also love the characters. They stand out to my daughters and have them asking days after if they can see a particular illustration of a certain character, and they laugh all over again. My oldest and I have read the first book several times, and we never get tired of laughing about a scene where Bean and Nancy are pushing each others' buttons in a dressing room while shopping with their mom. The books do not feel repetitive, but there is a comfort in the consistency of main characters, while still leaving some room for surprises.

As far as getting students to notice features of books, the information about the author/illustrator at the end of each book is unique, providing glimpses into the author/illustrator as children and how their experiences connect to the content of the current book. For example, this book shares how Barrows had many babysitters and provides glimpses into all that she did, while Blackall did not have babysitters, but babysat for many kids as a teenager. This gives something related to the book that will interest young readers and help them to think about who wrote and illustrated the books.

Released last November, the newest book in the series is #8, No News is Good News. I look forward to seeing if another is released this fall. Though I will wait until they come out in paperback, I will keep buying each new book for years to come, as when my oldest outgrows them, my youngest will still love them for a while longer.