#533 of 1001 · January 15, 2022

A cardboard box and a stuffed teddy bear. For so many children, these items serve as emblems of the landscape of childhood pretend play. In the pages of The Box by Kevin O’Malley, they become elements of a quiet and gentle magic odyssey. A young boy climbs into a cardboard box with only his beloved teddy bear for company. The box becomes a spacefaring vehicle, blasting off and carrying him far beyond the earth’s orbit. When he plummets toward an aquatic planet, disaster strikes: the bear is lost among the waves on the surface. The boy floats toward a marvelous city of bridge, columns, and towers, where the citizens sport antennae. In a back alley, a wicked, eyepatch-wearing villain has trapped the bear and refuses to give him up. The boy states a daring rescue before returning home to earth, safe and sound. In his wordless narrative, O’Malley explores adventure, courage, and love, all framed within the boundaries of the imagination. #box #teddy #bear #teddybear #space #outerspace #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks