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.
