First Line: This is a WORDLESS book!
Summary: This book is difficult to summarize, as each reader finds a different story within the image. My daughter and I interpreted the story as this (SPOILERS!):
A Tree is cut down then driven to a paper mill. The tree is shredded, made into paper, and folded into brown paper bags. The bags are boxed then shipped to different locations. One bag is given to a father and son while purchasing a flashlight. It is reused as a lunch sack, and a LOT of other things. The boy grows up using and reusing his brown paper sack. He even takes it to college, where he meets a girl. They fall in love, get married, and have a baby. Now, the baby grows up with the brown paper bag. He takes it to his grandpa, the original boy’s father. They make memories together with it. They put new memories into the bag. Grandpa’s chair is empty now, maybe he died. They look at the memories the little boy made with his grandpa, stored in the brown paper bag. They plant a new tree in the old brown paper bag. Full circle!
Ratings:
Maggie: 10 out of 10
Conor: Did not participate in this storytime.
Mama Lala: 8 out of 10
Their Thoughts: It would be easier to understand if it had words, but (I) like that it let (me) decide the story. I wish the grandpa didn’t die. I like that he grew up with (the bag), and he didn’t throw it away.
“Can we read it again, mama?”
My Thoughts: I love how my little loved this story. Her heart seemed to sink into the book. The author’s note at the end of the story was interesting, but I wish I hadn’t read it aloud to my daughter. It confused the story for her. She had trouble remembering which details were in the story, and which happened to the author.
FYI: There is the possibility of death as a discussion topic in this book.
Happy Reading our friends,
Mama Lala, Maggie, & Conor