Ikebana : Asian Arts and Crafts for Creative Kids Book

Summary/A Thoughtful Review:
If I could give a book 6 stars, Toys Go Out DEFINITELY deserves it!! In this short chapter book (appropriate for all ages, but would make a FANTASTIC read aloud of primary students), readers become a part of the "toy world," following the experiences, challenges, and emotions of three toys owned by the Little Girl: Lumphy, a stuffed buffalo, Stingray, a stuffed stingray, and Plastic (who later discovers he is a ball!). In these six "linked stories," we are first introduced to the three friends as they experience the tosseling trip in the Little Girl's backpack together while being transported to "Show and Tell." In the other stories, we feel their anxieties and fears as Plastic questions his own identity, determined to know what it means to be "plastic," peanut butter-covered Lumphy must face the WASHING MACHINE, and Stringray discovers he is a "Dry Clean Only" stingray meaning he cannot float! Through the poetic-like structure of this text, Emily Jenkins' work speaks of self-discovery, adventure, imagination, and most importantly, friendship! Her choice of words creates beautiful images in the reader's mind, taking us to a world familiar, yet so foreign at the same time! I cannot wait to start this as a read aloud with my first grade students!