Customer Reviews

Stella Louella's Runaway Book

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've read this fun book to several primary classes in our elementary school library, to the great delight of the children. It's a cumulative story in the sense that more and more people join Stella in the search for her missing library book, because "it's due today by five o'clock."

But another fun aspect of this story is the mystery behind the title of the runaway book. As Stella and her entourage meet each new person who has seen the book, another clue is given about the title, although it is never given. However by the time children have finished hearing "Stella Louella," they know that she had checked out "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." My students were thrilled and proud of uncovering the mystery before we finished the book!

As a librarian, my favorite part of the book is when Mrs. Graham, the librarian in the story, says her favorite part of the book is the same as with every book, "when someone READS it!"

It's always a treat to find a children's book that combines good writing, wonderful illustrations, and an entertaining story. So often, the books children go for are lacking in both plot and writing quality. Children will never grow up to read good books if they're not exposed to good writing early on!! On the other hand, visually beautiful books that parents love often leave kids cold. This book combines all the best qualities in children's books. My 6-year-old daughter and I both loved Stella Louella. It is sure to become a family favorite. This book would make a great gift, especially if there is a librarian in the family!

You'd be surprised at the amount of library-related agonizing a child can go through when he or she is given the awesome responsibility of their first library card. As a children's librarian I use a variety of picture books to draw on these fears and then put them safely to rest. Books like "D.W.'s Library Card" and "Beverly Billingsly Borrows a Book" are invaluable for this purpose. "Stella Louella's Runaway Book" is a bit different from these, but not by much. Harping on the ability some children's books have of moving about seemingly of their own free will, the story follows Stella Louella's quest to track down her elusive book and return to the library before it is TOO LATE.

In the first few pages we see a montage of Stella Louella reading her book everywhere. In bed, on the floor, with breakfast, in the tub (oog), and so on. But as we're told right off the bat, "On Saturday morning Stella's library book disappeared, as if in a magic act". What ensues is a frantic search for the missing item, due that day at five o' clock. Each person that Stella and her slowly growing capadres ask about the story, makes some kind of a comment on its plot. As we meet more and more people, we slowly figure out that Stella's book was undoubtedly Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Finally, after questioning the police, chair repair shops and even mattress dealers, Stella and company discover the book's final satisfying location.

It's hard to dislike a book where the endpapers show all the characters we've met in the story triumphantly marching through the library, books to check out in hand. The story's nice enough, though nothing special. The idea that each person Stella asks has a personal connection to her story (for example, the police officer calls it a classic case of breaking and entering) is nice, but it gets strained. I was a little surprised we didn't meet a bear trainer at some point. But the cumulative frenzy builds nicely and the huge crowd at the end is a wonderful audience to hear about where the book at last meets its final destination. As for the illustrations, they are sweet and serve their purpose well.

To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that I'm a librarian and this book plays to my sympathies, I might easily give it only three stars. But because it does encourage kids to go to the library, I give a fine healthy four. Reading this book to your child will go particularly well if they're familiar enough with Goldilocks to understand the references to it without help. As it is, it's a fun story with a cute twist. A fine welcome-to-the-library-type-book.

Stella Louella's Runaway Book
Stella Louella has lost her library book! Stella's father tells her to remember where she left it last, and soon the two of them are off on a chase across town, gathering an ever-growing crowd of helpers as they go. Will Stella and her father - and everyone else - find the library book? What will she tell the librarian, Mrs. Graham? Kids will love this exciting story and the busy illustrations.

Delightful story about a youngster with a vivid imagination for excuses why she can't go to the library.

Teachers and librarians will enjoy reading this book aloud to elementary students who I have found are eager to make predictions about the sequence of events and infer that the lost book is about Goldilocks. The book could also be linked to vocabulary and writing lessons with verbs and adverbs such as "gasped, groaned, moaned, fretted, sobbed, frantically, anxiously, spied, confess." I think this picture book might also be a great choice for inspiring young readers, discussing text-to-self connections, and teaching the theme of responsibility."

I'm not trying to be mean-spirited but I think that writing a cumulative story, where all the characters trail along in a parade and the main character gets to ask variations of the same question over and over and over and over and over and over must be more fun than actually reading such a story.

The first read is fine, but by the second, third, or fourth, you may start, as I do, editing the text, cutting through the morass of redundancy, gritting your teeth. There is simply little joy to be had from reciting names from an ever-growing list.

Moreover, the irresponsible way many of the characters treat a library book ought to strike a chord to the book lovers out there. Who would really leave a book lying on the counter of a diner, grab a book from someone's porch, put it on a park bench?

OK, I know this is a children's book, but the cascading series of incidents wears thin---especially after repeated readings.

The illustrations are engaging and well done, and the message that books are important is certainly a good one. Having each member of the parade of characters check out library books is a positive message. But all of the repetition finally just wears me out. I really hope I don't have to read this book aloud again.