Not a Box (Book)

Portis, A. (2006). Not a box. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Picture Book, Fiction
Subjects/Themes: Imagination, Bunny, Boxes

Plot: A little bunny and his not-a-box.  The reader/narrator keeps asking the bunny why he is playing with a box.  The bunny keeps explaining all the different things (except a box) that he is playing with.

Personal Thoughts: The best book about boxes! This book brought back childhood memories of times when my imagination ran wild.  I built forts out of mattresses, boxes and sheets.  I made clever bird traps from a box, a stick and a piece of string.  This book is a great example of just how imaginative children can be.  You can almost hear the narrator's voice as an echo of every parent who was wondering just what their child is doing.  One set of illustrations are simple black lines portraying a bunny and a box on a white background, which is what the narrator or parent sees.  The other set of illustrations adds bright red crayon lines over the bunny and the box to illustrate what the child or bunny sees, such as a mountain or a robot.  The book's cover actually feels like a cardboard box. A great addition to any picture book collection.

Awards:
Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award (2007)
New York Times Best Illustrated Book (2007)
Nick Jr. Family Magazine "Most Imaginative" Picture Book (2006)

Author Website: http://www.antoinetteportis.com/index1.html

Other Books by the Author: Not a Stick (2008); Kindergarten Diary (2010)