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Summary
Summary
The simple playthings, the everyday moments, picking up that hundredth rock -- all of these are brimming with possibility...if you slow down and let the future begin with the small moments of today. Because everything depends on letting a little boy...be a little boy.
Author Notes
Alison McGhee is the New York Times bestselling author of Someday , as well as Dear Sister , What I Leave Behind , Pablo and Birdy , Where We Are , Maybe a Fox with Kathi Appelt, Firefly Hollow , Little Boy , So Many Days , Star Bright , A Very Brave Witch , Dear Brother , and the Bink and Gollie books. Her other children's books include All Rivers Flow to the Sea , Countdown to Kindergarten , and Snap! . She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Laguna Beach, California. You can visit her at AlisonMcGhee.com.
Peter H. Reynolds is the bestselling author and illustrator of I'm Here , The Dot , and Ish ; and illustrator for the #1 New York Times bestseller Someday by Alison McGhee. He is also the illustrator of Going Places , Little Boy , Charlie and Kiwi , and the Judy Moody series. He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts, where he is co-owner of the Blue Bunny bookstore. Visit Peter at PeterHReynolds.com.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
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.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
With echoes of William Carlos Williams's poem "The Red Wheelbarrow," a little boy's daily activities depend on traditional rituals, innocent mischief, imaginative play, and a big cardboard box, all shown in cleanly composed pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations. The text's careful cadences verge on preciousness; the book will likely appeal more to nostalgic fathers than to sons. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Inspired by the William Carlos Williams poem often referred to as The Red Wagon, McGhee's picture-book text begins Little boy, so much depends upon . . . / your yellow cup, / a serenade to wake you up, / sun that slants across the rug, / the wings on that astonishing bug, / and . . . / your big cardboard box. The next four stanzas follow the same pattern and end with the same five words, while the poem concludes with Little boy, you remind me how / so much depends on days made of now. The hovering sentiment crystallized in final words will appeal to adults much more than to children. Still, the verses read aloud well and use vivid, concrete words. Reynolds, who illustrated The Dot (2003) as well as McGhee's Someday (2007), contributes a series of pictures that follow an active, imaginative preschooler from morning to night. The sensitive ink drawings, brightened with watercolors and surrounded by plenty of white space, will beguile children and grown-ups alike.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A gentle look at the minutiae that make up life's learning moments and the importance they hold as building blocks for the future. "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." Helping with the cooking, taking care of the family dog, saying goodbye to grandparents, jumping puddles, inspecting bugs, making a goal and lots of imaginative play also appear as elements that make up this small boy's life. Throughout, Reynolds's ink-and-watercolor illustrations wonderfully portray the delightful mix of mischievousness, joy, pride and imagination that make up little boys. While a cozy lap reading between parent and child is sure to elicit similar lists of things that "so much depends on" in their own lives, the text will be most appreciated by sentimental parents. This is a beautiful reminder to all that these days will pass all too quickly and must be savored--the perfect gift for harried new parents. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
