Official Review: Come Pam, Come Sam by Irene Halladene

[Juliana_Isabella]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Come Pam, Come Sam" by Irene Halladene.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Come Pam, Come Sam by Irene Halladene is a short picture book about a young girl who loses one friend but gains three more. After Jenny’s best friend, Pam, moves away, Jenny’s mom brings her a puppy, who she names after Pam. Later, a new family moves into Pam’s old house. The family has a son, Nathan, who Jenny doesn’t like. However, she and Nathan soon find they have something in common, and Jenny makes not one new friend but two!

I enjoyed how this book revolved around an issue that many kids will experience: the loss of a friend whose family must move away. The story is told from the first-person perspective using Jenny as the narrator, which makes it easy for the reader to understand what she is feeling. I also liked how the author shows Jenny being resistant to having Pam replaced, first by the new puppy and then by Nathan.

Although I enjoyed the story, I think that some parts of the book could be improved. The illustrations were very simplistic, and the black dog was so dark that it was difficult to see any details on her. Some of the writing also felt awkward, with the author using phrasing like, “I slumped myself again over.” Although I only found one error in the book, these issues made it feel less professional than some other children’s books I’ve reviewed.

Overall, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The story is fun with some unexpected twists and turns, and the characterization is done well. However, I think the author could have included more detailed illustrations to help children relate to the characters, and the phrasing is occasionally awkward and difficult to understand.

I would recommend this book to parents of children ages five to nine. The vocabulary is appropriate for beginning and intermediate readers, and I think that this book could help children who are experiencing a loss like Jenny’s.

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Come Pam, Come Sam
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