Little Boy (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Watching his tousled-haired son navigate a typical day, a father wistfully reflects on boyhood's pleasures—especially the endless possibilities presented by a big cardboard box. McGhee (previously paired with Reynolds for Someday) uses William Carlos Williams's The Red Wheelbarrow as a jumping-off point for the hand-lettered text: Little boy, so much depends on…/ your starship pajamas,/ that story about llamas,/ the way you don't worry,/ the way you won't hurry,/ and… your big cardboard box. Keeping props to a minimum in his watercolor-and-ink vignettes, Reynolds portrays the young hero at full kid throttle. Confident, independent and inexhaustible, the boy turns the cardboard box into a pirate ship, a stepladder, a spaceman's costume and a crash pad. In short, he's the very definition of Everyboy—if the computer or TV set had never been invented. Those absences suggest that the book's appeal is a nostalgic one—and that the most appreciative audience may be former boys like Dad himself. All ages. (Apr.)
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From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—The duo that created Someday (S & S, 2006), a picture book celebrating a mother's affection and hopes for her daughter, now presents the reflections of a father about his young son. Once again, there is ample white space around the charming pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations. The artwork bursts with energy as the boy engages in all sorts of activities, such as playing with a truck, romping with the dog, and browsing through books. The straightforward text, written from the dad's perspective, recounts the simple things that are important to his child: "Little boy, so much depends on…a puddle to jump,/sand to dump,/truck down the hall,/pencil lines that mark how tall." A repeated refrain shows the youngster finding numerous fun uses for his "big cardboard box." This title may also resonate most with adults, though it has more child appeal than Someday.—Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141695872X
• ISBN-13: 978-1416958727
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 7.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #100,091 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching treasure, April 26, 2008

By	Julie Neal "The Complete Walt Disney World" (Sanibel Island, Fla.) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

A gentle reminder to let children have unstructured time to play, this storybook is about a dad reflecting on his son the way the authors' Someday is about a mom and her daughter. Both can bring tears to your eyes.

Using short rhymes and expressive illustrations, the story follows one small boy through his day. He wakes up to the sounds of a big yellow dog and Dad singing in the shower. He spends his day climbing trees, splashing in puddles, dumping sand, rolling trucks, being measured to see how tall he is, baking cookies with Dad, kicking balls, pretending to be a pirate, saying goodbye to visiting grandparents and reading to his dog.

Like all little kids, the boy plays with his same, favorite toys throughout the day. A yellow robot splashes in a puddle, gets buried in a sandbox and measured for its height, and walks into a cardboard box town. The boy plays with the cardboard box all day too, finally falling asleep in it at night, curled up with his dog.

The point of the book is surprisingly deep: that who the boy will become as a man depends on all the seemingly insignificant, everyday activities he does as a child. "Little boy, you remind me how, so much depends on days made of now."

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A bit awkward.., May 9, 2008

By	S. Bolanos "Love the written word" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have to admit when I first read this book, I found it hard to follow and awkward. I do appreciate repetition in literary styles but I did not like the flow of this book. I loved their first book "Someday" I thought it was beautifully written and the plain prose was still poignant. However I felt like this book was written to ride on the coat tails of their last success. I tried reading it to my daughter and the choppy wording turned her off right away. I have found that when purchasing books to read aloud to toddlers the language and flow of the prose is very important. Although the concept is sweet I wouldn't recommend it for reading aloud, which is important to me when choosing children's books. I highly recommend the poem its based on as an alternative.

The poem by William Carlos Williams
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baby gift, June 2, 2008

By	Marie Sharon - See all my reviews

I purchased this title on a whim when a very dear friend of mine and his wife had their first child, a little boy. It just seemed right. I wasn't disappointed. It's a delightful story about a "little boy" and what's important to him. Of all his toys--the big cardboard box--and what parent doesn't understand that?