Way Home

(...)in english we have to chose a childrens book to reasearch and i picked way home i would like to say it is a fantastic book and has great illerstations we also had to research the author and i found she was a very nice person to research on some web sites it says the reading level is for 4-8 year old well i disagree i would have to say i enjoyed it (...)

This book is a masterpiece of the picture book format. The text is artfully written in that it provides numerous twists and turns for the reader creating narrow passageways which parallel the journey of the main character. The artwork is equally masterful. I love the idea that the end papers appear as crumpled paper and each of the images appears to be a torn photograph. These images are suggestive of the "throw-away" nature of the child involved in the story. Only at the end when the boy arrives home (a box) with his recently found cat does the single closing photo appear whole and without tears. There are other subtle meanings also woven into the illustrations. Look carefully but most importantly enjoy. This picture book provoked three days of discussion from a group of 5th grade students with whom I worked. They couldn't let the book go and they kept finding things to discuss in it. I pairs well with Monkey Island by Paula Fox and the Lady in a Box (author?.Also I Can Hear the Sun by Patricia Polacco.