What If?

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Illustrator)

Overview

MULTIPLE STORIES . . . MULTIPLE STORIES. A story about choices from the "Queen of the
Concept Book."—The Horn Book

WHAT IF a boy found a beach ball and kicked it into the ocean? WHAT IF two seals found it and began to play? WHAT IF a third seal appeared on the beach looking for a friend?

In this spare and deceptively simple book, Laura Vaccaro Seeger shows us the same story with three different outcomes, each highlighting the possibility in possibilities.Youngest children will enjoy this visit to the beach and the chance to guess what happens when different choices are made.

What If? is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596433984
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	04/27/2010
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	708,681
Product dimensions:	8.28(w) x 8.79(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	BR (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Laura Vaccaro Seeger has been called "the queen of the concept book by The Horn Book and is the winner of many awards including two Caldecott Honors, two Geisel Honors, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Her books include The First Egg, One Boy, Green, and the Dog and Bear series.

Editorial Reviews

Simply gorgeous.” —Starred, Kirkus Reviews

“Another superb offering from this master picture book creator-no ifs, ands, or buts about it.” —Starred, Horn Book

“Seeger unobtrusively underscores each story arc with textured illustrations—sunlight sparkles on the water, gradually sets, and stars appear in the deep blue sky—and provides a deceptively simple but creative introduction to the structure of stories and how simple it is to be a good friend.” —Starred, Publishers Weekly

“This book will have many different connections and possibilities in using it with students, from character education to writing.” —Starred, Library Media Connection

“Subtle variations in the sun-soaked illustrations help readers see all the possibilities in this near-wordless title.” —Family Fun magazine

“It's the work of an artist who never overplays her hand, and the brushstrokes and possibly even finger strokes evident in the colorful paint give it an even deeper sense of intimacy. ” —Booklist

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 1—A deceptively simple, nearly wordless tale of friendship and sharing. The story begins on the endpapers, where a boy throws a beach ball and it floats out to sea. The next page has only the words "what if…?" and shows two sea lions playing with it until it rolls onto the beach. One sea lion goes ashore ("And what if…?"), where a third sea lion joins in ("Then what if...?"), leaving the first one alone and sad. Next comes a page with the word "or," and this time the second sea lion brings it back to the first, leaving the third one out. In the third "what if," the sea lion out to sea comes ashore to join the other two, and the three play together, and then head off, leaving the ball in the sand. Seeger's grasp of children's concerns and ability to visually tell a full story with minimal words is masterful here. She captures the complexity of friendship and sharing in a way that will speak to kids and invite discussion. The illustrations are saturated with color. The sea lions are depicted with minimal lines, yet still imbued with personality. The artist marries the charm of her "Dog and Bear" books with the thick color washes of First the Egg (2007, all Roaring Brook) to create something new and yet familiar. This book is perfect for parents and teachers looking for books on interpersonal relationships, or just a great book to share.—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT

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