Rosa's Room [Hardcover]

Barbara Bottner (Author), Beth Spiegel (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

"Rosa had a new room in a new house. It seemed empty."
Rosa and her mother have moved to a new house. Rosa knows what she needs to feel at home in her new room: on Monday, clothes in the closet; on Tuesday, her treasure box on her desk, on Wednesday, a poster on the wall. But still, somehow, her room seems empty. "More," her cat Concertina seems to say.
Late at night in bed, she dreams about how to decorate her room. On Thursday, she borrows five new books from the library. On Sunday, as Rosa sits in her room drawing a picture, she looks out the window and sees a girl outside playing. Now Rosa knows what she needs to make her room special: a new friend to share everything with.
Illustrator Beth Spiegel's full-color, appealing illustrations perfectly capture the resourceful spirit of the young protagonist, Rosa. This is a sensitive, simple story that shows young readers that even upsetting changes like moving can present exciting opportunities and imaginative possibilities for new experiences and new friends.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Rosa moves into a new house and as she gazes at her room she notices one thing: it is empty. She begins to fill it by unpacking her crayons, her clothes, and her doll. As each day passes, the girl continues to decorate the space, setting out her teapot, hanging a poster on the wall, and placing library books here and there. After Rosa has a dream about something beautiful covering her bed, her mother makes her a beautiful floral bedspread. Finally, she feels that things are shaping up. On Sunday, she makes a friend, and Lili loves everything about the room-especially Rosa. Through simple language and age-appropriate details, Bottner does a good job of capturing a child's point of view. Done in watercolor, gouache, and India ink, the illustrations enhance the mood of the text. The image of Rosa's empty room, filled with only a few pieces of furniture and shaded with solid pastel washes, compares nicely to the final result, a space bursting with bright patterns, colorful clutter, and two friends jumping on the bed. There are many books about moving to a new house but few describe taking a space and making it one's own in such a positive and creative manner.
Linda Staskus, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. This exploration of what makes a house a home is perfect for kids facing a move or feeling lost in a new situation. The text is understated ("Rosa had a new room in a new house"), but the watercolor illustrations ably capture the upheaval of settling into a strange place. The first spreads show Rosa and her mother's belongings crowded next to the moving truck and then piled up in boxes inside the new house. Artist Spiegel uses an overhead perspective to show Rosa surveying her room, a small girl in a large space. Rosa begins to unpack her treasures, but something is still missing. Then Rosa invites a new friend to see her room, and suddenly the not-quite-right room is filled with the fun of two friends jumping on the bed. An optimistic, encouraging book that will help make a strange and scary situation less so. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (March 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561453021
• ISBN-13: 978-1561453023
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,666,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara Bottner began writing for children in the 1970's, when she broke her leg doing off-Broadway Theater and decided to consider a different career. Having gotten a degree in painting, she began to hang out in the children's book section of libraries and bookstores. She was amazed at the originality of the art and fell in love with picture books. Slightly fickle, she also wrote I Can Reads, eventually middle grade and YA novels. She stretched out into writing for television and film and also published essays and short stories in national magazines. She returned to writing books for children and Bootsie Barker Bites, illustrated by Peggy Rathmann, a classic, was translated into eight languages and animated for television. Barbara prevailed upon her MD husband, Gerald Kruglik, to co-write Wallace's Lists, illustrated by Olof Landstrom, which was also animated, (Weston Woods) is translated into Swedish and is forthcoming in French.
Barbara collaborated with Michael Emberley, resulting in Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don't). Anyone who's ever struggled with falling in love with reading, or is the parent or teacher of a picky reader will rejoice in the way Miss Brooks handles a curmudgeon of a first grader. Miss Brooks Loves Books has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and is nominated for the prestigious Bill Martin Jr. Award. Barbara teaches writing and consults with writers all over the country; she was honored to receive the New School Distinguished Teaching Award in 1990.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet story that will resonate with small kids, January 15, 2008

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Rosa's Room (Hardcover)

This is a sweet little book about moving to a new house and making new friends. The story is told very simply, but the emotions underneath the matter-of-fact text are very strong and will ring true for children and parents alike. Recommended! (ReadThatAgain)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet book about making your room your own., March 9, 2005

By 

A Boca Mom (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rosa's Room (Hardcover)

A nice story about the difficulty of moving and what makes you feel at home. Kid's rooms are very special to them. Children will relate to this story even if they haven't moved to a new place.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good moving book if your "stuff" is not all coming with you, February 17, 2010

By 

C. Sinosic "sleeplessmom" (Saudi Arabia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rosa's Room (Hardcover)

We relocated in to a furnished home and had to put our belongings in storage. This book was great for our daughters (4 and 2) because it was the only book we found where the stuff from the "old house" didn't arrive at the "new house." Our 4 year old was especially excited to get to decorate her room "Like Rosa!" and when she had her first friend over, she told me that she feels just like Rosa... now her new room is complete because she has a new friend to come see it.