A young boy's world is filled with colorful playmates, but as he gets older, things change and magical friends fade away. But a chance meeting with a young girl reminds him -- and the reader -- that magic and wonder never really disappear.
This gentle, uplifting story emphasizes the magic and wonder of childhood and the power of imagination and friendship.
Ages 3 to 8.
Full color picture book.
Hardcover with dust jacket.
9-3/4'' wide x 8-1/4'' high.
40 pages.
Author and illustrator Kaila Eunhye Seo received her BFA in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has loved art since she was a child and is passionate about creating work that has a visual and emotional impact on her audience. She lives is Seoul, South Korea. This is Kaila's debut picture book.
Reviews:
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ''In a town handsomely drafted in black ink, a boy named Fred 'was able to see and believe in things . . . that others could not.' Monsters, namely. Seo, a Korean artist making her children s book debut, creates a slew of shaggy, wide-eyed creatures, colored in pale yellows and blues, who aren't just benevolent, but downright helpful. ('Sometimes they acted like the wind and moved branches out of the way for people. And sometimes they acted like shade and kept people cool on hot summer days.') In a development that will be familiar to anyone who has seen Toy Story or sung 'Puff, the Magic Dragon,' Fred eventually trades these smiley, friendly furballs for human companions, growing up to be someone who 'ate the same things everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner' and 'lived each day very much like the day before.' It's a story that tugs at heartstrings (it's tough to watch the crestfallen monsters fade to black and white as Fred forgets about them), but Seo's upbeat ending affirms the loyalty of this hirsute and utterly devoted crew. Ages 3 to 7.''
Click here to download a free Common Core Aligned Teaching Guide for Fred.
