The Spooky Box

by Mark Gonyea, Mark Gonyea (Illustrator)

Overview

There's a KNOCK at the door.

A box shows up on the front step. A SPOOKY black box. What could be inside?

With fun, dramatic designs, Mark Gonyea shows the scary things that might slither, slice, or slide their way out, from a ton of toads to a bunch of old bones to a robot with laser eyes. When it comes time to open the box, it's up to the reader to lift the lid!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466844667
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	07/02/2013
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mark Gonyea is the author and illustrator of several children's books, including A Book About Design and A Wish for Elves. He lives in Vermont.

Editorial Reviews

The book leaves an opening for creative storytellers to make more of the bare-bones text and to use the framework for an inventive reading.” —School Library Journal

“Possibilities abound for creative writing or art activities.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Using sharp, angular illustrations in a palette of black, white, and a rather unholy shade of yellow, Gonyea builds zingy tension as his worrywart narrator frets about what might be inside a spooky black box that has appeared at the door.... Funny and original Halloween fun.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A limited palette of reds, greens and yellow and simple shapes provide a sharp, contemporary look that will appeal to older children with limited reading skills.” —Kirkus Reviews on A Wish for Elves

“A clean, clear, lighthearted look at the communicative clout of color, contrast, and contour.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review on A Book About Design

“The only current title that effectively deconstructs complex princples of graphic design for children.” —The New York Times Book Review on A Book About Design

From the Publisher

A sophisticated attempt to build suspense and awaken the imagination may ultimately fail to deliver a satisfying conclusion for most readers. A loud knock at the door alerts the narrator that a box has come. It is black; it is "a spooky box." The narrator wonders, "what's inside?" A graphic adventure follows as the text invites readers to speculate on just what might be in the mysterious box. "It could be full of bats! / Or filled with rats!"--or spiders, bones, snakes or a cake. Utilizing a limited palette of starkly contrasting black, white and yellowy orange, Gonyea imagines vivid dark shapes that emerge from the box with creepy intensity. Serpents with white-triangle eyes zigzag across one spread, while a squid unfurls itself from the black square's confines. Then there is a thump that heightens the anticipation. It cannot be candy, but maybe it's a "ton of toads" or a robot "with laser eyes and a kung-fu claw!" If readers are brave enough, they will discover a vertical flap that opens to reveal…"two more spooky boxes!" And so it goes on for another two spreads, never revealing what's in the boxes but asking readers to speculate some more--and disappointing many, who will justifiably feel they've been left hanging. For those pleasantly surprised and inspired by the title's open-endedness, though, possibilities abound for creative writing or art activities. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews