The Red Book by written and Illustrated by Barba Lehman

I found this book to be a lot of fun. I enjoyed the idea of a magical book and adventurous journey using balloons to fly. This is another wordless book that I found entertaining and enjoyable.

The qualities of the illustrations themselves did not compare to the elaborate illustrations of David Wiesner, but they did have their own flair. They were simple in shape but did have detailed images of space and location. There were also moments where they read more like a graphic novel with several pictures stacked up on each other. She uses complementary colors and line to shape her images. The character’s emotions were neatly conveyed on the characters faces without words. Allowing the reader to be the expert and discover what was happening.

I might have this book in my library. I would not choose it to have it read aloud due to the fact of its simple illustrations. It is a great book for students interacting in the reading process for the first time. Therefore I recommend this book for younger grades. Although Wiesner’s masterful illustrations would be enjoyable and fascinating even for the upper grades Lehman’s does not.

Published: 2004