Long, Ethan. FUN! Ethan Long, Illus. Letter Setters; bk. 2. Holiday House, 1/2026. [36]pp. Reader. Trade $14.99. 978-0-8234-6032-8. GRADES Preschool–1. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Four different breeds of setter dogs go to the beach, meet a pig and a pug, and make sand castles. Each spread has just one word, with each successive word changed by just one letter, such as “dig, big, bug,” and so on. Because the text is so brief, the cartoon illustrations tell most of the story, using slapstick humor. This entry in the “Letter Setters” series uses short vowel sounds, but this is not a boring phonics reader; it’s a real story. This series will be great for younger emergent readers who may be struggling, since they can “read” the pictures and easily sound out the limited number of words..
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool