The Magic Box: A Book of Opposites

by Charles Ghigna, Jacqueline East (Illustrator)

Emerging readers learn all about opposites with an adorable panda in this picture book from award-winning children’s author Charles Ghigna—Father Goose®—and illustrator Jacqueline East.

Pandora the panda goes on a journey of imagination and curiosity when she discovers a magic box. What is this box? What should she do with it?

Pick it UP?
Put it DOWN?

Join Pandora to explore the highs and lows, the ins and outs, and the many other opposites that are near, far, and everywhere you are! Basic words, short sentences, and lots of repetition make The Magic Box an ideal first reading book for emerging readers ages four to eight.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2024

About the author

Charles Ghigna - Father Goose® lives in a treehouse in the middle of Alabama. He is the author of more than 100 books from Random House, Disney, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Time Inc. and other publishers. He has written more than 5,000 poems for children and adults that have appeared in anthologies, newspapers and magazines ranging from The New Yorker and Harper’s to Highlights and Cricket magazines. He served as poet-in-residence and chair of creative writing at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, instructor of creative writing at Samford University, poetry editor of English Journal for the National Council of Teachers of English, and as a nationally syndicated poetry feature writer for Tribune Media Services. He speaks at schools, conferences, libraries, and literary events throughout the U.S. and overseas, and has read his poems at The Library of Congress, The John F. Kennedy Center, American Library in Paris, American School in Paris, and the International Schools of South America. For more information, visit his website at FatherGoose.com

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Ghigna, whose poems are often for all ages, has this time written a book for young ones, and also for those beginning readers who will love a story with a few words to learn along with a delightful story that will make them smile. The title, The Magic Box, publishes at the end of this month!
Pandora, a cute panda, is out for a walk and finds a box. "Hmm", I'm sure she thinks, what could this be? "She picked it up. /She put it down." After a bit more exploration, wow, the box begins to talk! In this journey, that "magic box" tells about itself in brief phrases that are also small poems, like "I like NIGHT." and "I like DAY." followed by "I go LEFT." and "I go RIGHT." Jacqueline East's illustrations are color-filled with fun expressions and actions! She also leaves enough white space so young readers' centers of attention are of Pandora's and the Box's actions. Also, that space helps the focus on new words being read, too.
Thanks to Schiffer Publishing Ltd for my copy!