What to Wear! Annie and Snowball and the Dress-Up Birthday by Cynthia Rylant

It was almost Annie's birthday. This year she had her new bunny, Snowball.

Annie wanted to invite her family--her dad and Snowball, and her cousin Henry, and his parents--and of course Henry's big dog Mudge. She phoned Henry and told him that her party was on Tuesday.

"Dad is going to make all my favorite foods--finger sandwiches and lemon tarts and strawberries dipped in chocolate!

And it's going to be a dress-up birthday!"

Henry couldn't wait to dress up Mudge!

On Tuesday Annie's house was all dressed up, too, with daisies and yellow balloons and fancy finger foods arranged on pretty plates. Annie was wearing a frilly pink satin dress with matching tights and bows in her hair. Snowball even had a little bow on her fluffy tail.

Annie's dad was in a tuxedo!

At last it was time for her guests to arrive.

The doorbell rang.

And there stood a pirate, a gypsy, a mummy, and a moose!

"Dress-up" has more than one meaning, as Annie finds out when Henry, his parents, and his big dog Mudge arrive, all dressed up in costumes for her party, in Annie and Snowball and the Dress-up Birthday (Level 1) (Simon Spotlight). In this early reader story in her series about Annie and Henry, notable author Cynthia Rylant and artist Sucie Stevenson combine their skills to tell a funny story of mixed-up meanings that ends with a good laugh and a perfect birthday party and a happy fortune for the birthday girl told by the Gypsy, a.k.a. Henry's mom. Learning to read is fun when you do it with friends like Henry and Annie. Newbery author Rylant is the author of several outstanding early reader series besides the Annie and Snowball series--the Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Mr. Putter and Tabby.