Book Review
by Kathy Porter
February is a month about red, with the celebrations of Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year. So, it is only fitting to review a book called The Red Book, illustrated by Barbara Lehman.
A girl from a city finds a red book in the snow. In it she sees a boy on an island who finds a red book in the sand. She is surprised to see him turn to a page in his book that shows her watching him reading his red book. She takes a bunch of balloons to go to his island but accidentally drops her red book on the way. The wind turns the pages and shows the girl arriving at the island of her new friend. A boy on a bicycle finds the red book on the sidewalk and takes it with him. As a heads up there is sequel called The Red Book Again which begins with the boy who found the red book on the bicycle..
This wordless book is perfect for preschool children and yet-to-be-readers who are learning English. It is a delightful thing to watch a child make up their own story as they look at a picture book such as The Red Book. If a child struggles to make up a story, you can help guide them. I love books like these that allow children to imagine their own stories.
You can find The Red Book in the Picture Book section of your local library on the L shelf. If not, you can find it on Amazon, click here.
Continue The Story Activity
The activity sheet has four rectangles. In the first rectangle the child draws someone holding a red book. In the next rectangle they draw a way to travel with the book. Are they riding with it in a car, a spaceship or another vehicle? In the third rectangle, they draw the place where they arrive. Is it Grandma’s house, a faraway planet, or somewhere else? In the last rectangle, they give the book to someone. Do they give it to Grandma, a space alien or someone else? Have the child tell their story to you after they finish drawing .
Supplies:
The free activity sheet, colored pencils or crayons.
Directions:
- In the first rectangle, the child draws someone holding a book. Color the book red.
- In the next rectangle they draw a way to travel with the book.
- In the third rectangle they draw a place where they arrive.
- In the last rectangle they draw a picture giving the book to someone.
