by Abby Hanon
Nothing ever happens to Ralph. So every day when it’s time to write stories, Ralph thinks really hard. He stares at his paper. He stares at the ceiling. But he has no stories! With the help of his classmates, Ralph realizes that a great story can be about something very little . . . and that maybe he really does have some stories to tell. Debut author/illustrator Abby Hanlon’s endearing text and charming watercolor and colored pencil illustrations prove that writing can be fun!
Publishers Weekly
"Stories are everywhere!" exclaims Ralph's teacher, and Hanlon proves it in her debut picture book. While Ralph's classmates eagerly scribble stories, he displays his creativity by finding excuses to leave the room. When Ralph complains that he can't write a story because "NOTHING happens to me," his friend Daisy replies, "Are you kidding?... I've written a ton of stories about you!" (one describes Ralph's nail-painting adventure: "then the teacher sed oooo no its permanent marker!"). Eventually, Ralph finds inspiration in a memory of an encounter with an inchworm, and when it comes time to share his story, Ralph's classmates' questions prompt him to wildly embellish it, emphasizing the value of oral storytelling. Hanlon's loose, rudimentary watercolor and colored pencil cartoons are as authentically childlike as Ralph's voice; literary lions like Olivia and Babar decorate the walls of Ralph's classroom, speech bubbles provide humorous asides, and Ralph's wide, craggy line of a mouth easily conveys frustration, anger, nervousness, and confidence. A closing lineup of staple-bound books, among them When Milk Came Out of My Nose and The Smelly Band-Aid, prove that Ralph has left his writer's block behind. Ages 5–9. (Sept.)
Catholic Education Week 2015 Recommended reading.
ISBN-13: 9780761461807
Publisher: Amazon Children's Publishing
Binding: Hardcover
Publication date: 9/18/2012
Age range: 6 - 8 Years
Product dimensions: 8.10 (w) x 10.30 (h) x 0.30 (d)
ISBN: 9780761461807
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