A Squiggly Story

by Andrew Larsen, Mike Lowery (Illustrator)

Overview

A young boy wants to write a story, just like his big sister. But there’s a problem, he tells her. Though he knows his letters, he doesn’t know many words. ”Every story starts with a single word and every word starts with a single letter,“ his sister explains patiently. ”Why don’t you start there, with a letter?“ So the boy tries. He writes a letter. An easy letter. The letter I. And from that one skinny letter, the story grows, and the little boy discovers that all of us, including him, have what we need to write our own perfect story.

This picture book from award-winning author Andrew Larsen playfully and imaginatively explores a young child’s process of learning to express himself. It promotes the idea that stories are available for everyone to tell, whatever way we can, and will inspire pre-readers to try writing stories of their own. The lively, fun illustrations by Mike Lowery incorporate story panels with dialogue bubbles, adding visual texture. Also helpful, the boy’s story is shown both as he actually writes it — with just a few letters, some punctuation marks and typographical symbols — and as he imagines it. Celebrating self-expression, self-discovery and imagination, this book would enhance an early language arts lesson on writing, particularly on the parts of a story. It beautifully highlights the exciting worlds that are opened up when children begin to read and write. In a sweet touch, the boy and his sister model a close and supportive sibling relationship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771380164
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	09/06/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 10.37(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	AD270L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Andrew Larsen is the acclaimed author of such books as Goodnight, Hockey Fans, A Squiggly Story, The Not-So-Faraway Adventure, In the Tree House and The Imaginary Garden. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Mike Lowery has illustrated many books for children, including The Day My Mom Came to Kindergarten and A Squiggly Story. Mike lives in Decatur, Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

A Squiggly Story is a charming little book that may help first-time storytellers keep trying to write stories, even if they lack the ability to draw proper letterforms, let alone put a complete sentence together. Written by Andrew Larsen…and illustrated by Mike Lowery…it has a clean, modern look and a positive message.

The New York Times Book Review - Frank Viva

A positive tale of how a story can emerge organically from an inkling of an idea to an imaginative literary excursion ...—Kirkus Reviews - starred review

This fun and playful celebration of the squiggly line will inspire kids to flex their own creative writing muscles.—Quill & Quire

A Squiggly Story is a charming little book that may help first-time storytellers keep trying to write stories, even if they lack the ability to draw proper letterforms, let alone put a complete sentence together.—New York Times

This playful multilayered story about sparking the mind is loaded with opportunities for readers to consider different kinds of storytelling.—Booklist

A solid read-aloud for most any children's collection, but especially where writing is emphasized at an early age.—School Library Journal

... Larsen's text and Lowery's illustrations ... beautifully reveal the breadth and depth of meaning that even a few squiggles and swirls can have in a child's imagination.—Canadian Children's Book News

From the Publisher

10/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—What happens when you have a story but you're not sure how to write it down? Larsen introduces a boy as he struggles to write a story, even though his sister tells him it's easy. The feeling of frustration at not being able to form letters, the excitement of reading a story aloud to the class, and the just-a-little-bit bossy older sister will all be relatable elements to young readers. Because the book shows the boy employing several real-life strategies for prewriters, like starting to write with well-known letters and drawing pictures in place of words where the letters are unknown, this is especially recommended for school library collections. Teachers may find it can be used as a model text during writing units for preschool and kindergarten. The title is illustrated in a graphic novel-style, with speech bubbles and boxes for different images on some pages. The palette of greens, beiges, pinks, yellows, and blues is cool, and the simply drawn cartoon characters are stylized but expressive. The boy and his sister and the students in the boy's class are illustrated with a wide variety of skin tones, giving this volume an inclusive feel. VERDICT A solid read-aloud for most any children's collection, but especially where writing is emphasized at an early age.—Celia Dillon, The Brearley School, New York

School Library Journal

★ 2016-05-18
A positive tale of how a story can emerge organically from an inkling of an idea to an imaginative literary excursion—even at the hands of preliterate kids.This story's young, brown-skinned male protagonist admires his big sister, who loves to read and write "BIG words and (little) words, page after page." But with just his "swirl after swirl. Squiggle after squiggle," he thinks he can't write a story. Like any good writing coach, his sister tells him: "Write what you KNOW." Using letters and squiggles, he writes about a visit to the ocean, where he and his sister play soccer, see waves, and encounter a shark. His story looks like this: "I o U …. VvVVvv ^." During show and tell at school, he shares his draft and gets feedback, which helps him finish the story. Lowery's line drawings and use of frames and speech bubbles common in comics make this a lively story that keeps readers guessing. He paints the protagonist's story in progress in pale green, bringing the child's imagination to life. The story's ending suggests a sequel—or several—that will perhaps illustrate the protagonist's growth as both reader and writer. This book offers a fine mirror for brown boys who aspire to write, but it's also a great pro-literacy story for all children about brown kids who hold reading and writing in high regard.(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews