Makeda Makes a Mountain

I Can Read Level 2

by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

At A Glance

Interest Level

4+

Entertainment
Score

Reading Level
1.3

Number of Pages
32

Makeda and her family are cleaning the house for a party! They make a huge pile of items they don’t use anymore, and soon it’s time to take them away. But Makeda is not ready to throw anything out. Can she find new ways to use her old things? 

Makeda Makes a Mountain is part of the Step into Reading Level Two series, which targets readers in preschool through first grade. Each page features one to eight sentences in large font, making it an easy read. The book uses basic vocabulary and familiar words with a simple plot. Many of the pages include full-page illustrations of Makeda and her family, who are African American. The illustrations use bright colors and focus on the characters’ facial expressions to help readers understand their emotions.  

Readers will empathize with Makeda, who doesn’t want to get rid of any of her things. As she looks through her things, she finds creative ways to repurpose items. Makeda uses old socks to make puppets and uses a sweater to make a fuzzy toy cat. Her family even agrees to keep their old puzzles with missing pieces to create a new game, but the reader doesn’t learn how the puzzles are recreated. Soon, Makeda’s school friends arrive with their own stuff. Through the story, Makeda is the only person to suggest new ways to use items. In the end, Makeda and her family don’t throw anything away.

Makeda is a likable, kind, and creative character whom children can imitate. Her two parents and siblings make a small appearance and have healthy interactions. Makeda Makes a Mountain teaches readers the importance of repurposing. However, the story misses the opportunity to teach why reusing items is essential for reducing waste and conserving natural resources. Despite this, Makeda Makes a Mountain will entertain readers as well as teach a positive life lesson. Adults who want to teach children more about environmental causes can add these books to the reading list: PAW Patrol: The Clean, Green Rescue!, Saving Kate’s Flowers, and Rocket Says Clean Up!