The Thingamabob [Hardcover]

Il Sung Na (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 9, 2010 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

One day, he found the thingamabob.

He had no idea what it was or where it came from. . . .

So begins the story of a curious elephant and a mysterious red object. But what is it?! When none of his friends can tell him, the little elephant decides to experiment. He thinks: Maybe I can fly with it? (Maybe not.) Maybe I can sail in it? (Maybe not.) Maybe I can hide behind it? (Maybe not.) Nothing seems to work, until big drops of rain begin to fall. The little elephant does not want to get wet. Luckily, with the thingamabob (an umbrella), he does not need to get wet!

With bright, adorable illustrations and a simple, playful text, Il Sung Na captures the excitement of making—and sharing—an unexpected discovery.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—Intriguing artwork, worthy of close study, delicately illustrates this simple tale of an elephant that encounters a puzzling, inanimate object—a bright red umbrella. Not having the faintest idea what it is or its purpose, the pink-cheeked animal examines it, asking friends if they have any ideas. Experimentation helps to rule out what the "thingamabob" isn't. The pachyderm's gently humorous attempts at sailing it, flying with it, and, especially, hiding behind it will elicit smiles. When there's a small cloudburst, he finally figures out its function, understanding that he and his friends can stay dry together. The illustrations have the same captivating quality as those in the artist's A Book of Sleep (Knopf, 2009) and are made "by combining handmade painterly textures with digitally generated layers," then compiled in Photoshop. Use this title along with Antoinette Portis's Not a Stick (HarperCollins, 2008) for a storytime about using the imagination. Charming.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
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From Booklist

Na follows up his blushingly multicolored bedtime story, A Book of Sleep (2009), with this picture-book jaunt that. It opens abruptly: “One day, he found a thingamabob.” The “he” in question is a plump white elephant, and children will delight in knowing immediately that the thingamabob is a red umbrella. For the life of him, the elephant can’t figure out what the thing is for; sometimes it doesn’t do much of anything, other times it pops open alarmingly. He tries to fly with it (fails), tries to sail with it (nope), and tries to hide behind it (not even close), but it isn’t until it starts raining that the thingamabob’s use becomes apparent. Elephant invites all his friends to crowd underneath it with him. Sumptuous colors and swirling textures turn this slight, silly story into a visual feast, buoyed by a handful of great sight gags and the hands-down adorableness of the animals. Most of all, though, kids will come away from this treat with a terrifically toothsome new word to bandy about. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Ian Chipman

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Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375861068
• ISBN-13: 978-0375861062
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 0.4 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #898,732 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What an adorable pachyderm! April 22, 2010

By J. Prather TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This is another superb effort from Il Sung Na. I loved The Book of Sleep and like that book, this one is beautiful in its simplicity. This book opens with a curious elephant and an umbrella. Our cute elephant has no clue what it is; he asks his friends and they don't know, so throughout the book he tries to use this mystery object for a variety of things. "Can he hide behind it?" "Maybe not."

There's no better way to say it other than this book is just adorable. The illustrations perfectly complement the story and there is just the right amount of humour to keep the kids interested. It's a very short story and when I read it for a group of kids, they were fully hooked and were eager to find out what elephant would try to do next. I think they were all relieved when he finally stumbled on the right answer and thought it was incredibly funny that none of the animals knew what an umbrella was. A solid choice for preschool storytime.

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustration, simply and sweet story February 14, 2012

By izzybee

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Nice, simply story with not a ton of words about an: elephant and his thingamabob a red umbrella.... the artwork is awesome, and this book is a quick and easy read,that should hold your toodler's attention. We like it in our house.

5.0 out of 5 stars Encourage Creativeity April 3, 2011

By Claudia Reder

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Il Sung Na is a writer and illustrator to watch. In this book, children laugh and enjoy the puzzle of figuring out what the thingamabob is- and what it transforms into.
Wonderful colorful illustrations accompany the text. Read this book with Not a Box, Dot, and other books that encourage creativity and divergent thinking with a little
humor. I read it with adults and older children and we all were laughing!