Pobble’s Way

By Simon Van Booy

Illustrated by Wendy Edelson

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A gentle tale of a father, his daughter and a pink mitten that is dropped in the woods while on a walk. Daddy and Pobble make up fantastical names for things they see on their walk. For instance, mushrooms are really frog umbrellas. This sets the stage for more silly naming as the animals try to imagine varied uses for the pink thing they find. Squirrel is sure it is cotton candy. Mouse knows a mouse house when she sees one. Wing warmer for Owl; carrot carrier for Bunny. Duck is sure it is a fish coat. Soon Pobble comes back for her missing mitten and all the animals watch as Pobble puts it on her hand. Mystery solved! Everyone can go to sleep now. Lush illustrations, especially of the animals.
This book with its lovely wordplay can open up a discussion about figurative language. The reading level and number of characters makes this a suitable choice for reader’s theatre. It certainly would be a cozy read aloud one-on-one or for a class. One potential reading activity is to make up more names for the pink thing.
For more reading activities, see the publisher’s website: (http://www.flashlightpress.com/Activity_Guides.html).
There are several YouTube videos of Simon Van Booy talking about his adult books and his writing process which are interesting, but may not work with second graders.

  • Pobbles WayTITLE: Pobble’s Way
  • AUTHOR: Simon Van Booy
  • ILLUSTRATOR: Wendy Edelson
  • PUBLISHER: Flashlight, 2010
  • REVIEWER: Risa Brown
  • EDITION: Hardcover, 32 p.
  • ISBN: 978-097-9974-66-3

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