The Whisper ~ Picture Book & KID KANDY

Enchanting picture book where the reader gets to help tell the stories.

By Angie Quantrell @AngieQuantrell

The Whisper
Written and Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015)

The Whisper is a magnificent book that encourages readers to use their imagination.

A young girl who loves stories borrows a special book from her teacher. Once she gets home, she discovers that the words have disappeared! Encouraged by a whisper, she rereads the book and imagines the stories told by the illustrations. A surprise visit from Mr. Fox tells where the words have flown.

Told through minimal text and delightful illustrations, The Whisper allows readers to concentrate on the images and after a short introduction to a possible story line, complete the tale to their own liking. Each two-page spread offers the opportunity to make up a new story.

Readers will love the colorful illustrations and creating their own tales when they read The Whisper.

KID KANDY:

Look at Art and Make Up Your Own Stories

1. First, look at paintings, sculptures, or works of art. Really study them. You can even look at calendar pages, book covers (without reading the story inside), or photos.

2. Next, ask some questions.

- Who is in the art?
- Do you see people or animals?
- Where does the art take place? Outside, inside, at dinner, bedtime?
- What is happening?
- Why is it happening?
- What feelings can you see or feel when you look at the art?
- What problem is going on?

3. Now, make up a story about the art.

For example, I have a calendar page of a large rabbit, beautiful flowers, and a dragonfly. It almost looks like the dragonfly is friends with the rabbit and one is whispering to the other. Why? I think perhaps the rabbit has lost a friend and the dragonfly is helping to find the friend. "Look, over there," he flutters, "see those purple flowers? I think I see shiny eyes and long ears." Maybe the eyes and ears are not a friendly rabbit, but a wily fox!

And then I could keep imagining the story of the rabbit and the dragonfly, adding problems and adventures and changes.

Look around you. Choose a picture you can use to imagine a story. Go ahead.

Tell me. I want to enjoy your story, too!