"But then the rains
came down.
"I wish I were someplace that wasn't
so hot and drippy," Alice said.
With the book over
her head, Alice read,
So the girl went to a place
of sparkling sands, where
the sun would dry her."
It's one of those dreary days when Alice wants nothing more than for the weather to change so that she can spend time outside. As she trudges past her working mother, she is tempted by a book lying on the floor in front of her. Its pages entice.
As she begins to read the story of a little girl who travels to a place of warmth and bright colors, the birds on the page beckon her inside. What an invitation! Of course she takes them up on it, and ventures inside the book's pages where she continues to read. Thus, begins a wondrous journey. While visiting with the birds, rain begins to fall. She wishes for a place not so wet and humid. Voila! She finds herself in the desert with a pair of camels.
Each new world of adventure leads her to the next, until she is ready to return home. Children will very much enjoy the repeated words and Alice's ability to move on from one place to another. The double-page spreads, created in gouache by Ms. Lin, are filled with wonderful, inviting images that will encourage those readers to move with wonder. Alice's dress, which is fashioned as a book page in the beginning, changes to become part of the background with each change of scenery in her adventure. It is a wonderful journey of the imagination and an homage to the power of story.
"I wish I were someplace that wasn't so lonely," Alice thought.
So the girl went to a place of coziness and warmth,
where the kitchen smelled of dumplings and her
family was waiting with dinner."
Don't miss the rabbit as it accompanies Alice from place to place.
No comments:
Post a Comment