By Kelly Bennett, Illustrated by Terri Murphy
Bright Sky Press, $17.95, 32 pages
Do you know a kid who sees the world a little bit differently than other children? In her new book One Day I Went Rambling, author Kelly Bennett celebrates young ones who look at the world around them with magic in their eyes. Zane’s favorite thing to do is ramble – walk along the streets and sidewalks of his neighborhood to see what he can find. A silver hubcap is a secret part of a shining flying saucer. A piece of vine is a cowboy’s long lasso. Most kids will be able to identify with the experience of discovering something and pretending it is something else.
The book also provides a great lesson on how to deal with peer pressure. At first, Zane’s friends think he is crazy and won’t play with him as he finds his treasures. They try to ruin his fun by telling him exactly what he has found – trash that nobody wants. But Zane does not get discouraged. Soon a few pals join in on the hunt and then a whole group is helping him search. Read the book to find out what Zane has in store for all the collected goodies.
Illustrator Terri Murphy uses color to help show how Zane is feeling. When he is exploring, the colors are bright and bold. But when a friend tries to rain on his parade, she uses black and white. Also, be sure to look for the hidden lizard friends throughout the pages of the story.
Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin
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