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__The Red Book__ Written & Illustrated by: Barbara Lehman Book Review by: Lauren Ball

Title: __The Red Book__ Author: Barbara Lehman Illustrator: Barbara Lehman Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company Publication Date: 2004 Age/Grade Level: Grades 5 and Up Language: English ISBN-13:978-0618428588 Price: On Amazon New $10.19 (as of 4/11/12)
 * //Biographical Information//**

//**Analysis of Literary Elements**// 1) Theme: N/A 2) Plot Development: This is a very in depth plot. It makes a good story because it really makes the reader think since it is complicated and wordless. If the children are old enough then they will enjoy it. There is a lot of action throughout the story. For example, finding the red book, reading it, and then traveling to the island where the othe reader of the book is. 3) Character Development: The characters are introduced through action. They are convincing and credible. The behavior of the characters is consistent with their ages and their backgrounds. The characters grow by finding each other and ending up on the island together. 4) Writing Style: N/A (wordless) 5) **Illustrations:** The illustrator, Barbara Lehman, uses illustrations to tell the entire story. There are no words in this book. The illustrations are excellent and used to explain what is going on throughout the book. Also, the illustrations are clear and simple. For instance, the illustrations do not crowd the page and there is enough white space to allow the reader to really focus on the important parts of the story. The illustrations were also boxed and bordered. This emphasized where the reader was supposed to look. This type of story is appealing to older children because it allows them to create their own story to go along with the pictures. The children could use this book to practice narrative writing. Once they have written their own version of the story, they could share with others and compare.

//**Synopsis**// The Red Book is a story about a book which crosses both oceans and continents. A girl finds the red book in the snow one day on her way to school. This book opens a world of possibilities. The girl realizes that the book is magical. The pictures moves and it reveals another boy looking at the same book. The two children are able to see each other even though they are in completely different places. The ending of the story is not actually an ending because the illustrations show the journey is not over.

//**Personal Reaction**// This was the first wordless picture book I ever looked at. I thought it was just so unique in the fact that it tells such a different and in depth story. I really liked how the story was told through the boy and girl's perspective. I thought it was so neat how whoever opened the red book could see into another person's life and then end up there with them. This book is definitely for older children and adults, but I think it is a very creative story. Also, I liked how the author illustrated the book. The way the pictures were boxed and bordered really emphasized where to look.

//**Author Bio**// Barbara Lehman was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in New Jersey. She began to draw at an early age. Lehman has not only illustrated __The Red Book__, she has also illustrated many others. She attended New York City's Pratt Institute and earned a B.F.A in illustration. In 2005, __The Red Book__ received the Caldecott Honor Award. She also received the Parents' Choice Illustration award in 1993 for the book __Moonfall__ written by Susan Whitcher.

//**Related Links**// A Read Aloud of the book: **//[|The Red Book]//**