Näkymätön pentu / Wanda Gag, Tuomas Kilpi

 

Näkymätön pentu / Wanda Gag, Tuomas Kilpi

STORY: Once upon a time there were three puppies. One puppy was invisible, but they loved each other anyway. One day a ittle boy and girl come and take the two visible puppies home, leaving the invisible puppy alone. The invisible puppy goes off in search of his siblings, but loses track of them. He comes across a crow who listens to his story. The crow tells the puppy some magic words to make him visible over time. Every day when the puppy recites the words, he gains shape and form. The story  continues as the newly visible puppy tries to find his family.

This is a translated picture book of an American classic called Nothing at All from 1940. The book received the Caldecott Honor Award in 1942. 

CHARACTERS:The book is told in third person omniscient and from the perspective of the invisible puppy. Other speaking characters in the story are his siblings, the crow and the little boy and girl. 

The characterization is rather simple, the illustrations bring the story to life, showing how the puppies look different and the invisible puppy and his development into a visible puppy. The illustrations have a very classic 1940's style and new readers will be able to follow the story even if they are unable to read the text. 

LANGUAGE: Each page contains one or two illustrations along with 2 - 4 sentences of selko text. The grammar and vocabulary are not too complicated - questions, cardinal numbers, partitive plural, past tense, and dog related vocabulary.

As a picture book this is suitable for A1 and above. This is a good book for small children to read together with an adult, and it would still be good for a new lower or upper school S2 student to read. While the story is juvenile, the classic nature of the book makes it interesting and accessible to a wide audience. Adults, don't give this one a pass either, it's a good quick read where you might be surprised how much you understand, depending on your level.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: There's a dearth of selko picture books and every new one is welcome to the collection. Many selko picture books are rather big, with lots of text and it's nice to have this one, which is a small, thin paperback with a good balance ot text and illustrations. This is a great book for families and S2 students in schools and you can't go wrong with a classic, especially with a happy ending.