Title of the Book: A Picnic in October
Author Name: Eve Bunting
Reviewer's Name: Kayla
Publisher: Voyager Paperbacks
Date of Publication: 2004
Rating: 1-5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A Picnic in October” by Eve Bunting is about a boy and his family going to Battery Park for a
birthday picnic for his grandma. Even though her birthday was in October and it was cold outside. The
boy in the book is stopped by a frantic lady and child. The boy couldn’t understand what she was
saying but he understood she was worried that she missed the ferry to Liberty Island, he assured her
that there are other ones. When the family arrives at Liberty Island, his grandma thanks lady liberty
and blows kisses to her. His grandma was an immigrant and she was thankful that she reached
America. The boy thinks this is weird how much she is obsessed with the statue of liberty and hopes
no one sees. The boy then sees the woman from earlier with her child and husband nodding
respectfully and peacefully to Lady Liberty. His grandma says she knows how they feel because
they are most likely immigrants that had a long journey here. The boy didn’t find thanking Lady Liberty weird anymore and he did it too.
The message of this book is to always be considerate of others' feelings. The boy, after
seeing what his grandma must have felt and went through, understood and didn’t find it weird to
express thanks to the statue.
The illustrations were vibrant and helped you to visualize the situations
happening in the book. The pictures created a sense of movement because they were of parts
where the characters are doing an action presented in the text. This book is perfect for kids to learn
about respecting others and their feelings. Also, teach them to learn more about your family and
others’ pasts to better understand and sympathize with them. This book proves you can teach these
important life lessons to children while still keeping them engaged and interested in the story.
No comments:
Post a Comment