At the book sale this past Friday I chatted with a lady about a book I was selling. It was a wordless book that my son and I had so much fun with when he was little. This lady shared my love of wordless books. Today I have a Matthew Cordell book entitled Explorers.
What I am Reviewing
Explorers.
Matthew Cordell
Feiwel and Friends
2-6 years, or PK-grade 1
40 pages
Picture book, wordless books, museum, friendship
Children’s activity books
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.
When a family goes to a local museum, a boy notices a homeless man sitting outside, making brightly colored origami birds. He convinces his dad to buy a bird the man makes just for him.
Once inside the museum, his little sister takes the bird and launches it into the air. Is it lost? Soon another boy helps him look, and the paper bird brings two families – and two new friends – together.
The Details
I adore the colours and drawings. You can just sense the excitement and wonder in the children as they embark on their visit. A new toy, dinosaurs, Egypt and more.
The emotions! Wow! So clear eh? Can you imagine talking to a little girl or boy? Asking them what they think the boy is feeling? Can you imagine a little child wondering about a two-headed boy? Or talking about the shock of the lad when his sister snatched his toy? Books can bring out amazing conversations with children if you take the time to have them.
My Thoughts
I have to tell you, I love wordless books. I do! I find them so much fun to walk through with children as there is so much potential in where the story can go. Matthew Cordell draws us into a story of a boy, his frustration with his sister, and his joy at finding a new friend. OR you could read it as the excitement of the hunt, can he find his new toy that is much loved sister made a mistake with? Same book, different twist, what twist could you make? What about the littles in your life?
This looks so lovely! I, too, enjoy wordless books when they are well done. One of my favorites is called Flotsam. I think that is what it was called. It has been so long! I may need to go pull that one out.