Do you remember when you had more fun playing with a box than the toy that can inside it?
Have you ever watched young children play with an abandoned box for days on end?
The Box Cars by Robert Vescio and Cara King is a delightful picture book that shows young readers the fun they can have with boxes!
We meet two best friends – Liam and Kai who are experts in making different types of box cars and racing them around the local park. It isn’t until one day that they notice someone watching them that they realise how special friends and imagination are.
Soon enough – with a bit of problem solving – their duo becomes a trio and even more box filled fun takes place!
Simple yet brightly lit illustrations by Cara King fill each page and clearly show the emotions of the children as they play. They give a sense of freedom with imagination and nature at the heart of every page.
The story delves into the wonders of imaginative play and friendship and the problems that arise when we need to consider the needs of every one around us.
The Box Cars will open up the opportunity to get children outside with their imaginations instead of inside in front of a screen. It will encourage discussions about friendships and help children to see wonder in the simple things!
So what else can you do with this book?
Literacy
Grammar – Look at the different types of verbs used to describe how the characters do different things throughout the story. Replace these verbs with different or more plain verbs and see how the story changes.
Visual literacy – Every page is a whole page illustration except for one double page spread when Eve is not in a box car. Why is this the only page that does this?
STEM
Design and Make – Build something of your own out of a box that could serve a purpose in the school playground. Create plans before it is made and outline the clear purpose.
History
Toys in the past – explore how children made toys of their own in the past. What materials did they use and how did they make them?
