eBook Black and White ePub

Mitars Riders

David Macaulay is known for his architectural books: Pyramid,Castle, and City: a Story of Roman Planning and Construction and their accompanying videos. However, this Caldecott winner is a demonstration of that soaring Macaulay imagination!

Macaulay posts this warning right on the title page: "This book appears to contain a number of stories that do not necessarily occur at the same time. Then again, it may contain only one story. In any event, careful inspection of both words and pictures is recommended."

I'll say this at the beginning: As a children's librarian, I would never read or show this to a class. There is no way to explain this complicated, interconnected book of four stories that run into and out of each other.

Here is how they look. There are four stories on the two adjoining pages with two stories per page. Each story has predominant colors of blue, green, brown, and black and white. Colors and patterns spill and slip from one story to the next, but the thrust of the story is done in black and white. It must be noted that Macaulay is NOT saying that everything is black and white. Oh no! If anything he is saying that everything is NOT black and white, but he uses black and white, both words and pictures, to say it.

What I just wrote in that last sentence gives a sense of the story. It is brilliantly creative! I had a special story time with some gifted students last year, second graders. They had so much fun with this book. I had to get them started on "reading" the pictures (this is a picture book with narrative on each story block), but once they caught on, they rip-roared with the story!!

Remember the admonition to stay in the lines and not think outside the box. David Macaulay failed that class because he both colors outside the lines--literally--and his characters get outside their cartoon boxes and into each other's boxes. The story is one big paean to imagination, creativity, whimsy, flight of fancy, freedom to explore, and freedom to see the Big Picture.

Wow, this is one great book. Every child should own it! I certainly do!

Benn

I read this book to many students while teaching. It lead to many minds participating in trying to come to a conclusion. I recently bought this book for the next generation of my family with parents saying with a laugh that they remember ed that story. Excellent book for stretching the mind. GK

Saintrius

This is a very clever way to present four stories - whether they're part of the same story or not is up to you, which is clever as well. I only regret having no other option but to get the kindle edition, since the "pages" appear awkwardly and it can be confusing to read and follow the images. Other than that, my children liked it and I did too.

SiIеnt

I bought this book because of the author's reputation and was not disappointed. Several story lines appear to occur simultaneously and enjoyably. I plan to use this book with small groups of students and ask each student to narrate a different story line. This is a fairly complex picture book that I'm sure all will enjoy.

Cointrius

Great book. My two and three year old girls are too young to get it. I read them only one of the four stories (the black and white cow part) But in a few more years I think it will be a favorite. It is four stories together into one. I love the play on different points of view as you see four different ways of seeing the effects of one event. I think it is a must have.

Maucage

We loved using this in connection with an art project. It went very well. The children really enjoyed it! Such a great book!

Sharpbringer

I really enjoy this book. Sure, it will be appreciated more by older readers and may seem confusing at first but when you realize that the stories connect it is fun to read again and again.

Great adult picture book. Challenging to figure it out.