Chalk

Chalk by Bill Thomson From School Library Journal
This stunningly illustrated wordless picture book tells the story of three children who find a bag of magical chalk at the playground on a rainy day. Their drawings come to life, which seems great when a drawing of the sun stops the rain, but is scary when a dinosaur stalks them. A drawing of a rain cloud inside a play tube brings the rain back and dissolves the frightening creature. This imaginative story is the perfect showcase for Thomson's extraordinary pictures. Though they look like photos or computer-generated images, each one is actually composed using traditional techniques with acrylics and colored pencils. The artist's clever use of light, perspective, and expression, along with the protagonists' neat solution to their dilemma, creates a completely satisfying experience. Thomson is a master at visual storytelling.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

This book has been checked out again and again from our library by my girls. My youngest loves the colorful pictures and is amazed that they come to life. My oldest shakes her head every time she comes to the boy, usually saying, "Why do boys do that?" This book was also well loved in my classroom, especially by the boys who seemed to wish they could create a monstrous beast. I was amazed by the expressions in the children's faces. It seemed almost as if I was looking at a photograph. I could see needing multiple copies of this book in an elementary library.