By Colorado Kids Advisory Board member Ashlyn Stewart

Title: The End of the Beginning
Author: AVI
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Number of Pages: 143
Avon the snail reads about adventures every day and yet has never had any excitement of his own. Finally, one day he leaves his house to begin his fame-making journey. He soon meets a kind ant named Edward. The two of them set out on an adventure. As they travel on a tree branch, the pair meets another snail who is going in the opposite direction. Edward is very excited about the possibility of a battle between snails. He thought it surely would be one for history. Then, mysteriously, during the night the snails pass each other without knowing it. When morning comes, they are both still traveling onward in their chosen directions. When Avon and Edward reach the end of their tree branch and can’t decide which way to go, the branch really is “the end of the beginning”.

I enjoyed reading this book because it had a neat perspective and set me thinking like a small creature traveling. The illustrations of the characters were a nice addition to the story.

I recommend The End of the Beginning for ages 7-10 if you want to read it by yourself. But, kids as young as 5 would like the story as a read aloud. (February, 2005)