What is a Book?

The book that will transform kids' feeling for books. Emily Dickinson likened a book to a "frugal frigate" that could sail away with you to the unknown lands of imagination. Albert Einstein's opinion was that "imagination is more important than knowledge." "A book is a little thing. It seems like just a bunch of paper. It has a cover, a title, words. Sometimes drawing, too" What Is a Book is about the world of imagination that goes far beyond the pieces of paper with words. A book is a house. It's like a roof over your head, A cozy place to stay. A corner to hide away Where you feel protected and safe. A book is a door. You open it and find yourself in a different world. Will you meet someone? What will happen? As we see that a book can be an airplane, a blanket, a mirror, a window... we see that each of these metaphors is about moving from our known self to a place that is wonderfully stimulating and comforting too. A book is a window. There's someone not at all like you out there, Someone really different Maybe that's why you're curious and want to know more about her. A book is a brick, a swing and a sandwich. When you find out why, you'll know why all of us treasure what a book can do for us, where a book can take us, what a book can teach us. This is both an important book for children and a reminder to adults of why we have loved and honored books, and why they are so important. AGES: 4 to 7 AUTHOR: Lucia Stipari has been a touring singer, a circus squire, gymnastics teacher and firefighter. Then she began working in publishing and is a book graphics agent. Her school degree is in philosophy and she lives in Italy. Elisa Codutti is a prizewinning children's book illustrator from Italy. Her illustrations are simple yet sensitive to the world of the child and filled with humorous touches.