HARRY’S BOX

Harry is the recipient of a big brown box, courtesy of helping his mom bring groceries home. In the kitchen, it becomes a shop; in the garden, it becomes a lion’s den; in the bathroom, a pirate ship; in his room, a castle. Harry’s imagination is fully illustrated with pictures that take advantage of flora and fauna at his various locales, and his shop of “toys, treats, and treasures” has everything from chocolate cake to a cell phone on its shelves. Customer, adversary, and companion roles are played by Harry’s dog Wolfie. The illustrations have bright colors, soft edges, and myriad details. Children will instinctively recognize the power inherent in that big box, a story that began with Patricia Lee Gauch’s classic Christina Katerina and the Box (1971). The complete package would also include Katherine Ayres’s A Long Way (p. 603) and Marisabina Russo’s Big Brown Box (2000). (Picture book. 4-7)