 | Cactus Home (I Like To Read) Author: Madan, Vikram | |
| Price: $21.18 | ||
Summary:
This cactus is home to many critters. Birds tweet... bats read... owls play. Everyone shares, and everyone has fun! But one day, spiders move into the cactus. The rest of the critters aren't sure about the spiders. Then a storm hits their cactus home. Right away, the spiders pitch in to help.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (03/01/26)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 03/01/2026 K-Gr 2—A top-notch title in the "I Like to Read" series, Geisel Honor winner Madan's latest beginning reader offers kids a glimpse into the natural community of a cactus while inspiring them to give everyone a chance. A cactus is a fun place to live for a variety of birds and mammals, but then a family of spiders moves in. The residents are unsure of their new neighbors until a huge storm causes damage to their beloved cactus. Then it's spiders to the rescue, fixing the cactus and paving the way for acceptance of other new creatures. Text is brief and simple with repetitive words throughout, perfect for building confidence in young readers who are working on reading sentences. It is the illustrations that carry the story, with a variety of animal characters doing fun, often humorous, humanlike activities in their cactus home. The art was created digitally but still has a hand-drawn quality that adds interest. Textured brushes create an impressionist effect that is simple yet realistic and fits well with thin line art. VERDICT A solid addition to any beginning reader collection. Also useful in SEL lessons.—Virginia Pine - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
