Changes, Changes

I have tried getting my Korean English students to describe wordless picture books to me, and I have been most successful with this one. Like everthing else by Pat Hutchins ("One Hunter" and "Rosie's Walk"), this book is delightful.

Changes Changes is a wonderful book that young children will be pleased they can "read" on their own. My son enjoys reading this one to me as we drive home. He explains the motivation behind Mr. and Mrs. as they create a fire truck, train, truck and house in this wild adventure filled with tension, and emotion without using any words at all. Share this with any toddler built with an imagination of their own.

Changes, Changes is a wordless picture book showing a couple made of wooden blocks constructing building blocks to make a home. The home catches on fire and they build a fire engine to put the fire out. However, the water causes a flood and they then have to build a boat to sail away on. They arrive safely on shore and build a truck and then a train and, eventually, a new home. I would recommend this book for children ages 3, 4, and 5. Children these ages enjoy making up stories to go along with wordless books. Many of them also take pleasure in playing with building blocks and will enjoy the images of the blocks being built into various things. In addition, the personification of the couple made out of wooden blocks will appeal to young children. I recommend sharing this book with children for enjoyment. The illustrations were prepared with black pen-and-ink line drawings and separate overlays for the colors. The images do a wonderful job of telling the story without text.

This was one of the first books my mother and father shared with me when I was a child. To this day I can still recall sitting with them and making up a story about this little family made of wood. It moved me to tears. The pictures show the family building a home out of blocks. The home catches on fire and the family is distressed. They perservered, however, and re-built their home. Through adversity, hardship, and inevitable changes, love and the bonds of a family saw them through to find happiness once again. Definitely share this wonderful picture book with the children in your lives.

I "read" this wordless book to my preschool class and they loved it. It's a great book to do an interactive reading with your child. Have your child read it to you! It's also a good book for teaching colors and transportation.