This book is to be read by both the advanced reader and the beginning reader. The parent, teacher, or peer reads the journal entry of Sam, a child visiting their grandparents. The child learning how to read will read the thoughts of Jasper, the orange house cat. The large printed rhymes following these dialogues are meant for choral reading. Both partner readers or a class can read together to improve pronunciation and fluency. The book is for students that are reading at the kindergarten level. The book emphasizes the short "a" sound. Jasper encourages the child to be involved in the reading process by blending and comprehending what is read. The rich, detailed photographs encourage the child to discuss the story line of a pet so loved.
About the Author Irma O. Flores has been an educator for over thirty-five years. Her educational experiences include: 1) teacher-grades 1st_8th 2) Bilingual Title 7 Coordinator 3) District instructional facilitator 4) Curriculum Instructional Administrator 5) assistant principal 6) Elementary School Principal 6) Adjunct professor at Texas A&M International 7) educational consultant for the Texas Regional Collaborative 8) External Campus Intervention Team Member for the Texas Education Agency. Mrs. Flores retired from the public school system as a principal in 2006 and has been working with TAMIU and TEA ever since. She received her B.S (1973) and M.S (1977) in education from Laredo State University. After observing instruction in many classrooms, Mrs. Flores's dream was to write a children's book that would promote reading at home and in the classroom. "Partner reading" is unique in this book because the readers become close in sharing the experience of reading. About the Photographer Linda Angelica Flores is a photographer based in Austin, Tx. She graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2006 with a BFA in advertising photography. Her focus is in studio and on location lighting. In 2009 Linda began covering SXSWfor the music blog Stereogum. She has just finished her 3rd year working for Stereogum. Linda shoots live music with the rhythmic styling of a drummer. She attributes that to the fact that she actually is a drummer in a band called Old News. In 2010 she released the debut issue of Clim. The magazine features artists around the Austin area as well as local businesses. Linda is the owner of the main character in the book, Jasper.