I Wrote You a Note

October 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-A young child lounging in a flowery meadow writes a note and leaves it for a friend. A variety of animals discover it first and transform it according to their needs. When Turtle comes across the note, he makes a raft out of it; Duck uses it as a dock for her ducklings; Spider crosses the creek on it; and so forth. Eventually the wind blows the note over to its intended recipient, another child. The last page reveals the missive's contents-an invitation to go exploring, something the note's author has been doing all along while waiting for a friend to arrive. Boyd's stylized gouache illustrations are reminiscent of Matisse's cutouts, with their vivid colors and dancing shapes. Sharp-eyed readers will enjoy spotting the animals on the spreads as they make their appearance and cameos throughout the story. Hand-lettered text is a fitting accompaniment to the images both in its simple refrain of "I wrote you a note. Did you find it?" and in making the entire book feel like the note itself. VERDICT A delightful adventure through the great outdoors, best shared one-on-one to pore over the engagingly designed pages.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018
A child writes a message on a piece of birchbark. Various animals interact with the note as it becomes a house, a hat, a basket, and more until finally the wind delivers it to its intended recipient: the child's friend. On each page, tidy gouache illustrations show both the creature that last had the note and a hint of who's next, enabling viewers to make predictions.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2017
A child sitting on a rock starts this picture-book journey with the words I wrote you a note. Did you find it? With every page-turn, the square piece of birchbark that holds the message makes its way forward with the various insects and animals that interact with it. Turtle finds it and makes a sail for a raft, then a duck finds it and makes a dock for her ducklings to rest on, and then a spider finds it and uses it as a bridge to cross the stream, etc. The note becomes a house, a hat, a basket, and more, until finally the wind catches and delivers it to its intended recipient. Pleasingly and smartly designed, with tidy gouache illustrations, the pages flow as the note passes from creature to creature, with the child always present telling the story. Each page shows both the creature that last had the note and a hint of the one who will pick it up next, which enables viewers and listeners to anticipate and make predictions. The end brings you (another child) right into the book, and the final page reveals the note's content: Dear Friend, Do you want to go explore? Meet me by our big rock today at 4. Your Friend. Framed on each end by a page with birchbark design to match the note (see also the cover beneath the jacket), the book has many satisfying details to discover, and observers can notice new ones with multiple readings. julie roach

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)