Early chapter book shelves are full of books about the most popular movies, TV shows and cartoon characters, so when I find a good reader which both my children and I can enjoy I rejoice!
No Fighting, No Biting! by Else Holmelund Minarik is a classic. I loved the illustrations by Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) almost as much as I love the story.
Cousin Joan wants to read, but Rosa and Willy want to sit with her. They immediately start fighting, so Cousin Joan calls them little alligators. Rosa and Willy cannot understand how they could be little alligators, so they beg Cousin Joan for a story.
At first she refuses, because all she wants to do is read, but she soon sees there is no point in arguing with the children. So, she tells them several stories about big alligators and alligator children.
The stories are funny, involve a lot of bickering which puts the alligator children in perilous situations. But somehow, they always figure a way out.
No Fighting, No Biting! is broken into several short chapters, so slower readers can enjoy one chapter at a time without feeling overwhelmed by the whole book. And Sendak’s illustrations are liberally peppered throughout the book, providing visual rest for readers.
Recommended for children ready for short chapter books, about ages 4 to 7.
Cultivating Readers 
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