May’s Too-Big Pizza: ­Ready-to-Read Level 1

PreS-Gr 1–May, a young girl with brown skin, asks a friend to help her make a pizza big enough for her seven diverse siblings. She struggles throughout the process, ­worried about ensuring that the pizza, like her family, is big enough, “But not TOO big!” She frets over each ingredient as they make “a lot of dough. But not too stretchy!” and add “a lot of pepper. But not too spicy!” Overwhelmed by the enormous pizza and her chaotic household, May escapes to her bed. An illustration of her huddled posture and furrowed brow conveys her anxiety and sensory overload, but she is quickly soothed by a slice of pizza and the promise of ­one-on-one time with her friend. The slapstick humor in the kitchen is the main focus, but its emotional effect on May could be useful for discussions about sensory regulation. Concise phrasing, large print, and lots of repetition will help new readers with decodability, while also making this a fun choice for story times and group sharing. ­