Customer Reviews

Big Box

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The story seems to hit home, but hit hard. As an African American psychologist, who works in schools, I think that the 8-12 year old audience could be very disturbed by the imagery of being locked away, for mere exhuberance. But the story also oversimplifies the nature of emotional disturbances and behavior disorders, for which intervention is not just an adult world's attempt at control and conformity. If children can participate in making decisions in their life, and follow through responsibly, to their community, then their freedom is often their own. I think the political commentary is really directed at adults, and thus the target audience should not be children.

Excellent work as one might have expected, but it is one that deals with a controversial issue. The story deals with the issue of freedom narrating the tale of three children who were put in a big box because they did not meet the rules of the adults. When those children are in the box, they receive a lot of nice things from their parents, but the drawings show their faces to be passive and lacking something. The adults are always described to "love very much" these children, but they use this love to take away the kids' freedom which "they cannot handle."

The story ends with the sarcastic question "who says they cannot handle their freedom?" accompanied with a drawing of the three children breaking out of the box.

I can imagine the debate this story is going to create, for, on the surface, it deals with the sensitive issue of how much freedom should be granted to children, and whether they are illegible to make some or all decisions. The story kind of encourages kids to rebel against the adults who represent oppression in this story, and this might be problematic for some people. The story of course implies a much more serious message than the simple one introduced through the words and rhymes. The general concept of oppression is the main theme here. The drawings help illustrate this message..again this might be very problematic for people.

I personally loved the fact that it made me uncertain of how to introduce the story to my kids and how to discuss it with them. I am not that afraid to be uncertain in front of them any more. I show them, sometimes, that I am unable to decide about things or actually unable to judge things, and this takes a big load off my back. Hay, finally a not very boring children's story....

Any way, me and my children had a good time reading the story and discussing the meanings of it. I tried to ignore the idea of them rebelling against me as much as I can because I like my dictatorship over them :), but they impressed me with their questions and statements, and that was what I mostly liked about the story..the discussion it stirred.

My son took the book to bed, and I heard him later reading it loudly to himself with a reciting tone ..I hope he is not getting any ideas!

Toni Morrison's The Big Box is a wonderful book with all the elements necessary to make it a classic. Although one would think that this book should be in the adult book section instead of the children's section, I would certainly read this book to children between the ages of 10-18. I think that reading it to a class could lead to some very enlightening conversation, and it would also make a great additional read for any high school psychology class.

The lovely illustations and the rhyming text make this an easy book to read even though it deals with such a heavy topic.

Every parent, social worker and educator should have a copy of this book to refer to so that they will never be tempted to put any child into a big box.

This is a wonderful story for both children and adults. It tells of three children that get into trouble in the adult world and are placed in a big brown box. The children are simply displaying typical childish actions, yet are misunderstood by their parents. Very authentic for children to understand.

I have shared this book in my fourth grade classroom for the past three years. Each time I share it the students seem to understand the message and what it means to them in their own way. Although some think that this story is inappropriate for children I feel that it is wonderful for all ages. Don't underestimate what children can understand and take away from good literature. This can be a great piece of literature to use to discuss the idea of freedom with children.

I read this book aloud to my fifth graders. We discussed the book and the metaphorical implications. What does it mean to lose freedoms? Why are rules made? How does a child obtain more freedom? Do parents have rules that society sets? An excellent book if discussed WITH the children. It helps them understand society and how some of us are ready for some freedoms and some aren't.

From the instant I began to read this book, I knew it was perfect for the special education world. The books main theme of being "locked" up and having basic freedoms taken away, is what many special education students often feel. I work with emotionally disturbed students and the impact made by the children in the book made me feel a bit of what my students often do. Though the book is for a higher age level, the book can be read to and explained to a much younger group of children. It is always a healthy experience to talk about any idea or feeling, and this is a perfect example! The feeling of having your freedoms taken away because you are not like everyone else and do not conform to anyone's image! Thank you Toni and Slade Morrison for this wonderful book!

As a twenty-something first grade teacher reading this book, I personally found Morrison's writing to be very thought-provoking and realistic in the actual portrayal of a child's mis-understanding of the purpose of rules which govern their very pre-teen existence. The metaphorical dipictions of how the three "troubled" characters react to the reasoning behind what seem to be unnecessary and consticting regulations draw me deeper into the story as the pages turn. The somber and confused response of each child to the various forms of behavioral intervention (before it may be just too late) by the adults makes me sympathize and reminisce about simlar circumstances of my childhood. I even began to feel somewhat sorry for these characters, and truthfully a bit melancholy. However, for the nine to eleven year old reader, for whom this book is recommended, I find the underlying concepts to be perhaps a little too difficult to grasp. The pictures are wonderful, and the lyrical flow make the story very fluid and easy to read. But, I can not fail to stress the sophistication of the meaning behind the written words. I would definitely recommend The Big Box to a friend who can look beyond the facade of sentences and words used to tell a story. .....Or, maybe some of the disciplinary bodies of my childhood or the cruel, wicked, just plain mean teachers who I call co-workers! - Thomas Michael Welch, Jr., Los Angeles, CA

Feeling twinges of regret at my own childhood, this story resonated with me on a deep emotional level.

There is a tendency in today's society to replace experience with material objects, and for parents to protect their children by sheltering them from the world as opposed to guiding them through life experiences. Unlike other reviewers, I do not find the children in this story to be victims of emotional or behavioral disorders, but rather, alive with all the creativity and awareness that a child new to the world finds innate. The adults, unable to reconcile the self expression of each child finds it necessary to lock the child in "a box"-- a metaphor for over-protective adults encouraging conformity as opposed to creative thinking-- and further drives the point home by medicating the child with commercialism and imitations of real experience: plastic toys, televisions, dolls that have "already been named", Spice Girl tee shirts, pictures of the sky and small boxes of actual dirt.

This book does hold a strong message for adults, but I think that children who read this book should not be underestimated. Discussion about the themes could encourage children to think more about their role in society as creative thinkers.

Such as: What does it mean that the children receive dolls that are already named? Ask the child, "Do like naming your own dolls? What do you think about getting a toy that already has a name?" Questions along these lines explore ideas about self-expression and ingenuity, and hopefully looking at these parts of the story will allow most to get past their knee-jerk reaction that the book encourages rebellion against adults and instigates fear or disobedience in children.

This is certainly a big eye-opener for any adult dealing with children. Although the authority figure sets the rules (or administers them), keep in mind that children need their freedom to be kids. I was not at all surprised to see that Toni Morrison tackled such a wonderful issue -- allowing children to be children, rather than requiring them to be small adults. We (parents) ask children to conform to our hectic schedules, rush around without complaint while we run our errands, and do everything we ask them to do. Children need some freedom to make some of their own decisions, and to have some time to just be silly. How else will they grow to be competent, decision-making adults later in life? Unfortunately, this was not exactly what I would expect from such a wonderful writer as Toni Morrison. The story was strangely written, and repetitive in a way that only detracted from the story. My kids were not thrilled with the text or the illustrations. It did spark some conversation, which is good, but they aren't really going to read it again and again as I had hoped.

I am a 19 year old college student who works at a daycare center and I love this book. I think this book is a great self-esteem builder for the troubled child. So many times adults are quick to write off children as "problematic" when they do things out of the ordinary. This book lets children know that even if they are different they still have something to offer.