Many children are put off when they see a book that is full of words. They want pictures to look at, not words! After all, how can words possibly take the place of pictures. In today's picture book we meet a young duck who has this reaction when he finds a book that has no artwork in it. As the story unfolds, the duck discovers something rather remarkable about words, something that opens up a whole new world to him.
This is not a picture Book
This is not a picture Book
Sergio Ruzzier
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Chronicle, 2016, 978-1-4521-2907-5
One day a duckling finds a book and, full of expectation,
he picks it up. When he opens the book he discovers that the book has no
pictures in it, only words. What is the point of a book that has no pictures in
it! The duckling then gives the book a hefty kick, but he does not stay angry
for long. After all, it’s not the book’s fault that it is picture-less. Feeling
a little bad about his behavior, the duckling picks the book up and apologizes
for his outburst.
Then a little
caterpillar comes along and asks the duckling what the book is. The duckling
explains that it is a book “with no pictures,” and the insect then asks if the
bird can read what the words say. The duckling is not sure if he can, but he
starts trying to figure the words out even though it is not easy for him to do
so. He finds words that are funny, and words that are sad. There are even words
that “carry you away...”
In this
marvelous picture book a little duckling discovers that a book that does not
have pictures is actually quite a miraculous thing. Words take more work to
figure out than pictures, but in the end the work is worth it. Children are
going to love the way this narrative ends, and they may even begin to think
about what it is going to be like for them when they can read books, word-filled
books, for themselves.
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