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What To Do With a Box
If you give a child a box, who can tell what will happen next? It may become a library or a boat. It could set the scene for a fairy tale or a wild expedition. The most wonderful thing is its seemingly endless capacity for magical adventure, a feature imaginatively captured in cardboardesque art by Chris Sheban and rhythmically celebrated in this poetic tribute by renowned children's author Jane Yolen.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2016
8 people are currently reading
625 people want to read
About the author
Jane Yolen
912books3,172followersJane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
March 30, 2016
This was a required storytime title at my store and since I didn't have any other similar books, I felt I had to come up with something to engage the kids. The craft that came along with the event directive was lackluster, to say the least. So what I did, I brought out all kind of boxes if different shapes and sizes. I asked the kids "what are these?" Of course, they said "Boxes." and then I asked "What do we do with them?" to which I heard "Throw them away!" and "Put stuff in them." Then I read the book to them, pointed out what was happening in each picture and when the book was done, I told the kids to turn on their imaginations. Then I asked them again, point at the boxes...."What are these?" and this time they came up with all kinds of ideas. I also pulled out some creations I had made on my own; a school bus, a pony, a city (a co-worker made that one) and the kids' eyes lit up. They all wanted a box, some wanted a few. The parents were impressed with my "craftiness" but I told them these idea were from the internet. One mom was so surprised with how long her child focused on the coloring the box and sitting in the box. She claimed her child had an incredibly short attention span but the box activity was changing that. It seemed to be really thought provoking for both the kids and the parents!
I would also recommend reading "Not a Box" and/or "Not a Stick" if you're looking for more books that make you look at something ordinary in a different way.
I would also recommend reading "Not a Box" and/or "Not a Stick" if you're looking for more books that make you look at something ordinary in a different way.
May 24, 2016
An empty box is never really empty. It’s full of potential! You can fill it with magic, imagination, and fun. I swear sometimes the wrapping paper and box provide more fun and joy for kids than the gift itself. :D My brothers and sisters and I would play in a box until the seams split! Then duck-tape it back up and play on!
”A BOX! A BOX
IS A WONDER
INDEED.
THE ONLY
SUCH MAGIC
THAT YOU’LL
EVER NEED.�
These pages are a wonder! Every page captures the color, look, and texture of a box. You can see the ripples in the corrugated cardboard! See the stamps, flaps, and tape of a box. The artwork is remarkable! I loved every page. From the pictures to the words to the characters! Every detail is creative and fun. Look at the dog’s face at the tea party. Haha…Love it!
Come see the magic these kids can create with a box.
Highly recommended.
March 29, 2017
As a collector of boxes for kids to play with, I totally get this book. Love it! Wish there were more adult-size boxes out there so we could let our imaginations go. The illustrations were great, with that cardboard feel everywhere. And such a cute dog!!
1/17/17 Used as opener for B preschool theme. Would have been closer if I had remembered not to get rid of all the boxes over the break. oops. But the kids enjoyed this and seeing the imaginations. They liked the dog, too.
1/17/17 Used as opener for B preschool theme. Would have been closer if I had remembered not to get rid of all the boxes over the break. oops. But the kids enjoyed this and seeing the imaginations. They liked the dog, too.
July 8, 2016
Cute but meh.
May 4, 2018
This book represents the power and imagination inherent in a box. I remember doing some of these things with a box.
Read
January 23, 2023Text-to-Self Connection:
This story is me all over again. I was smiling from ear to ear reading this book. I would always turn cardboard boxes into a car, castle, or whatever my imagination made up. To my parents it was just a plain box that needed to be broken down. I would always take the box to my room, before my parents could get to it. I made the most extravengent space with my dolls and pretend food. It was my utopia and peace of mind. I always wanted to invite my friends over to my little make shift apartment. Lol!!!!
Fun read for sure. Children's imaginations are so pure and fastinating.
This story is me all over again. I was smiling from ear to ear reading this book. I would always turn cardboard boxes into a car, castle, or whatever my imagination made up. To my parents it was just a plain box that needed to be broken down. I would always take the box to my room, before my parents could get to it. I made the most extravengent space with my dolls and pretend food. It was my utopia and peace of mind. I always wanted to invite my friends over to my little make shift apartment. Lol!!!!
Fun read for sure. Children's imaginations are so pure and fastinating.
September 10, 2024
I read this one years ago, but still clearly remember the format. The pages of the book look like they are made of a cardboard box, while the illustrations show kids using boxes in different ways. Just looking at the book itself inspires creativity. The story gives many suggestions that build on that inspiration - building a castle, racing cars, drawing pictures, hiding and reading.
I love giving kids boxes and letting their imaginations take them away. This would be a great book to read before one of those play sessions to encourage children to expand their imaginations and really think "outside of the box."
I love giving kids boxes and letting their imaginations take them away. This would be a great book to read before one of those play sessions to encourage children to expand their imaginations and really think "outside of the box."
October 3, 2018
There is nothing better than a big box!
August 3, 2019
It is said that when you give a small child a present, he or she often has as much fun with the packaging. Jane Yolen's imaginative book certainly confirms that.
March 20, 2018
A rhyming picture book about the adventures you can have with a cardboard box and some imagination. I liked the premise but thought the use of rhyme--which felt forced at times--limited the possibilities of this story. The illustrations were amazing and did most of the heavy lifting in conveying the imagination I had expected from the text. The hues of brown accented with subtle yet rich green, blue and red tones gave warmth and enchantment to the story.
January 26, 2020
This book is so cute and brought back fond memories! Boxes were a big part of my childhood. Now my own kids play with (and in) boxes and draw on (and in) them. When we moved we actually toted a giant empty box along with us, to save for summer play outside...if you (or your kids) need some more ideas for what to do with a box, this little book is sure to help you with that. :-)
November 29, 2016
What To Do With a Box, by Jane Yolen, is a wow book for me! This book takes children on an adventure and shows them that with a little imagination, there is no limit to what you can do! In this story, a cardboard box becomes a library, a boat, a race car, and so much more. It sets the scene for a fairy tale, wild expedition, and a tea party! I really enjoy the message that this story delivers and the deeper meaning that lies behind an ordinary cardboard box.
I would use this book in the classroom in many different ways. This book can be used to help students develop a growth mindset. It shows them that is is no right or wrong answer in some situations. It also shows students that creativity can take us amazing places! What To Do With a Box allows children to see that in any situation, the possibilities can be endless!
I would recommend this book as a read aloud to elementary school teachers! This book is written with a poetic rhythm, making it engaging and fun to listen to. With the poetic rhythm of this story, it can also be used during a poetry unit! The illustrations in What To Do With a Box are another wow aspect of this book; they are so descriptive and detailed.
I would use this book in the classroom in many different ways. This book can be used to help students develop a growth mindset. It shows them that is is no right or wrong answer in some situations. It also shows students that creativity can take us amazing places! What To Do With a Box allows children to see that in any situation, the possibilities can be endless!
I would recommend this book as a read aloud to elementary school teachers! This book is written with a poetic rhythm, making it engaging and fun to listen to. With the poetic rhythm of this story, it can also be used during a poetry unit! The illustrations in What To Do With a Box are another wow aspect of this book; they are so descriptive and detailed.
November 30, 2016
A pretty literal how-to book. Yes, some of the ideas are imaginative, and are fleshed out a bit more in the illustrations, but on the whole these are standard ideas. Last I checked most kids don't need a guide book to help them play with a giant cardboard box. It's more or less an extended
The words and pictures are pretty much a mirror of each other, with a kind of 'imagination takes you places' flair to the illustrations. But not a very good use of the picturebook form. Why are editors still letting people do this? All they have to do is tell the team it has to be more than that! I also expect more from Jane Yolen.
Okay, and also--there is a book with almost this same title from 1973. looks like the same book to me. I've interlibrary loaned it to see, but is this a book that needed a remake? I guess in the digital age we now have amazon.com boxes instead of Sears catalog boxes...
The words and pictures are pretty much a mirror of each other, with a kind of 'imagination takes you places' flair to the illustrations. But not a very good use of the picturebook form. Why are editors still letting people do this? All they have to do is tell the team it has to be more than that! I also expect more from Jane Yolen.
Okay, and also--there is a book with almost this same title from 1973. looks like the same book to me. I've interlibrary loaned it to see, but is this a book that needed a remake? I guess in the digital age we now have amazon.com boxes instead of Sears catalog boxes...
December 6, 2016
Exactly what I expected from this book. It's nothing particularly new, but it definitely has a place in the STEM push in schools and libraries these days. I did a cardboard construction program last year, but it was geared towards tweens. I think with the help of this and I could maybe do a similar type program for kids and families.
The illustrations are done on cardboard, but I can't really find out to what degree. The pictures feature all the hallmarks of cardboard: the corrugated edges, tape, markings on the outside, folds and ridges, etc. I can tell some of those were drawn by the illustrator (mostly the corrugated edges) but I don't think all those attributes are. It would be crazy impressive if it were all trompe l'oeil cardboard, but I doubt it is.
The illustrations are done on cardboard, but I can't really find out to what degree. The pictures feature all the hallmarks of cardboard: the corrugated edges, tape, markings on the outside, folds and ridges, etc. I can tell some of those were drawn by the illustrator (mostly the corrugated edges) but I don't think all those attributes are. It would be crazy impressive if it were all trompe l'oeil cardboard, but I doubt it is.
March 2, 2016
Hearken back to childhood days when a large box became the joy for many hours as neighborhood kids slid down a long summer hill. If I close my eyes, I can hear the laughter. Dizzy from tumbling down, down and round, round, round still, we took turns walking back up the hill and climbing in the cardboard home.
The author captures these moments, are more. This book is hot of the press and recently published. The illustrations are incredible!
The author captures these moments, are more. This book is hot of the press and recently published. The illustrations are incredible!
October 22, 2018
What's not to love about this book?
Love the premise -- a box's potential for play and imagination
Love the illustrations -- have very much the aura of boxes
Love the text - both spare and inspired, just right
Now all that's left is to test drive it with little ones. Stay tuned.
Here is a link to a "Boxes" Story time I did a few years back:
Love the premise -- a box's potential for play and imagination
Love the illustrations -- have very much the aura of boxes
Love the text - both spare and inspired, just right
Now all that's left is to test drive it with little ones. Stay tuned.
Here is a link to a "Boxes" Story time I did a few years back:
May 17, 2016
One of my favorite memories is playing with the large boxes that we would have after getting a new appliance. This was not a regular occurrence so we had to make those boxes last.
Love books that explore the joy of childhood imagination.
Love books that explore the joy of childhood imagination.
August 14, 2016
This is basically an illustrated poem, which, according to the blurb, is illustrated in textured, cardboard-esque art. The illustrations are large and aptly depict the wild imaginations of the two children who are playing with the box. I really liked this artwork and found it unique and engaging.
March 8, 2016
Another great choice for a box-themed storytime. Start collecting your empty boxes now.
March 31, 2016
A fun poem about the endless possibilities of a box. Chris Sheban's illustrations really knock it out of the park.
June 16, 2016
Rhyming text about creative, imaginative ways to use a box - so many things a box can be!
Maybe pair with How To Find Gold for a summer storytime theme?
Maybe pair with How To Find Gold for a summer storytime theme?
September 2, 2016
My favorite part is how she made the illustrations on a box. Whoaaaaa. I also liked the idea of drawing a scene on the INSIDE of a box as well as the outside.
March 10, 2020
Again, as with so much by Yolen, much of the charm is in the illustrations, so let's give credit. And I'm not sure this is necessary, given the several older books on the topic and the new-enough by , author of . But it is a charming book and families should consider checking it out from the library.
There is still the problem though of where to get such lovely big boxes. I never had one when I was a child and craved my own 'palace' or at least 'nook.'
There is still the problem though of where to get such lovely big boxes. I never had one when I was a child and craved my own 'palace' or at least 'nook.'
November 21, 2024
“What to Do with a Box� written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Chris Sheban (Copyright 2016, by Creative Editions) is described as “Jane Yolen’s poetic tribute to the humble box.� Since a box is just a box, until a child’s imagination gets involved, I think this book is also a tribute to children. When a boy, a girl, and a dog come across an empty cardboard box, magic happens. This rhyming story is complemented by cardboard-themed illustrations that show a child’s imagination turning the simple box into a portal for adventure, becoming such things as a library, a palace, a nook, a canvas for coloring and painting, a tea room for dolls, a sailboat, a race car, and a magical flying machine. For those of us who’ve ever bought a gift for a child, only to discover that they’d rather just play with the box, this story is a reminder that imagination is the greatest gift a child will ever receive. This review was originally published as part of my "Picture Book Favorites That Encourage Creative Play" blog post at .
October 20, 2017
What to Do with a Box is a short picture book written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Chris Sheban. Intended for very young audiences, the narrator describes all of the imaginative and creative ways a cardboard box can be used. For instance, in the beginning of the book, the narrator describes a few literal things you can do with a box, such as opening it, sitting inside of it while reading a book, or even painting it in a variety of fun and fanciful ways. However, the story also includes several uses that require some imagination, such as using it as your palace or as a race car. The pictures of the book portray two young children and their dog using the box the way the narrator has described. Overall, the book would be a good choice for any parent or teacher to read aloud with any child just learning how to read.
March 8, 2018
I like the story. Jane Yolen is consistently wonderful. The words convey creativity and possibility. They capture the way a child views a plain brown box. Such as in NOT A BOX, the possibilities are indeed huge and endless if you have the imagination with which to view them. And yet, the words are not what make this book so special.
What is special about this book are the illustrations by Chris Sheban. The illustrations build on the imagination told with the words, but they also add depth and texture in the most inventive ways. They capture the details of a box so well and integrate them perfectly into the storytelling. The illustrations are a thing of imagination and beauty and should not be missed.
What is special about this book are the illustrations by Chris Sheban. The illustrations build on the imagination told with the words, but they also add depth and texture in the most inventive ways. They capture the details of a box so well and integrate them perfectly into the storytelling. The illustrations are a thing of imagination and beauty and should not be missed.
April 23, 2018
"To me Yolen's book reads like more of an ode to creativity and, of course, the box, then it does a how-to book. I wonder if this isn't the poetry or picture book equivalent of a shell essay. A shell essay is an essay that's written in a non-essay format. It's called a shell essay because the essay takes on another kind of writing's format the way a hermit crab takes on some other creature's shell. (Actually, I see these are also called hermit crab essays. I don't know where I saw the term shell essay.) I think What To Do With A Box takes on a 'how to" structure, but isn't actually a how-to book itself."
Excerpt from .
Excerpt from .
April 25, 2018
Yolen, Jane What To Do With a Box, illustrated by Chris Sheban PICTURE BOOK The Creative Company, 2016 $19. 9781568462899
A boy and his sister share a box - it can be almost anything they want. Sometimes they are together, like playing hide and seek, or pretending they are race cars; sometimes they are alone, reading a book, playing pretend, even taking a nap.
So many things that you can do with a box! Almost every page makes you feel like you are inside the box with the children. I love that the edges seem to fold in just like a box. A great read aloud to share. Give this book as a gift in a giant empty box!
EL (K-3) ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian
A boy and his sister share a box - it can be almost anything they want. Sometimes they are together, like playing hide and seek, or pretending they are race cars; sometimes they are alone, reading a book, playing pretend, even taking a nap.
So many things that you can do with a box! Almost every page makes you feel like you are inside the box with the children. I love that the edges seem to fold in just like a box. A great read aloud to share. Give this book as a gift in a giant empty box!
EL (K-3) ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian
November 19, 2020
My favorite part about this book is the creative illustrations. Chris Sheban illustrated this book about using a cardboard box on actual cardboard. This is a short read. It doesn’t have a lot of text, but just enough to get children dreaming about what they would use a cardboard box for. I think this book taps into the mystery of how a cardboard box can turn into an adventure for children. Can’t we all relate to that on some level? I think it would be fun for the students to do a writing response about how they would use a cardboard box, or even have the students physically make something out of cardboard boxes.
a. Author: Jane Yolen
b. Illustrator: Chris Sheban
c. Publisher: Creative Editions
d. Date: 2016
e. Genre: Concept Book
a. Author: Jane Yolen
b. Illustrator: Chris Sheban
c. Publisher: Creative Editions
d. Date: 2016
e. Genre: Concept Book
September 10, 2024
I read this one years ago, but still clearly remember the format. The pages of the book look like they are made of a cardboard box, while the illustrations show kids using boxes in different ways. Just looking at the book itself inspires creativity. The story gives many suggestions that build on that inspiration - building a castle, racing cars, drawing pictures, hiding and reading.
I love giving kids boxes and letting their imaginations take them away. This would be a great book to read before one of those play sessions to encourage children to expand their imaginations and really think "outside of the box."
I love giving kids boxes and letting their imaginations take them away. This would be a great book to read before one of those play sessions to encourage children to expand their imaginations and really think "outside of the box."
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