Rufus the Writer by Elizabeth Bram - ADVISABLE

Bram, Elizabeth   Rufus the Writer  Illustrated by Chuck Groenink. 34 unnumbered pages. Schwartz & Wade Books, 2015. $17.99. PICTURE BOOK

After watching clouds one summer day, Rufus decides to not have a lemonade stand but instead a story stand. So he does. When his friends come by, he trades with them for a story. One brings a shell, one gives him a kitten from his cat's litter, and one brings a bouquet of wild flowers. Each gets a tailor-made story, inspired by their preceding conversations. Even his little sister gets a special story as an early birthday present. And that's the entire plot. Rufus's stories are interspersed on one or two spreads throughout the narrative, fully illustrated in a style clearly more child-like but still really impressive. Maybe too slow for a read-aloud, this book is a fine illustration of how stories can be sparked into life from ordinary events, of how money isn't the only thing of value, and of how written tales can build a community. It's also a good book to use for reading practice with beginner readers.

EL (1-3)- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by P.K.Foster, teacher- librarian