Joey and the Giant Box: Read-Aloud Edition

by Deborah Lakritz, Mike Byrne (Illustrations)

When Joey decides to keep the giant box in which the new dishwasher arrives, he comes up with a very special use for it—and does a mitzvah along the way.
This fixed-layout ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book, features read-along narration.

Genres: Picture Books, Epic, Poverty

32 pages, ebook

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

I grew up in Skokie, Ilinois, riding my bicycle all over our neighborhood, swimming at the community pool, and spending hours at the Skokie Public Library.

The Skokie Public Library has always been a wondrous place for me. It’s where I first showed my mother I could read—sitting at a table in the children’s room! It’s also where I discovered books like Beezus and Ramona, and All-of-a-Kind Family, two of my all-time favorites. And later, it’s where I curled up in a special area called The Unicorner and explored books by Judy Blume.

Before I became a children’s author, I worked as a social worker. Often, I used books to help children navigate through tough times. Soon, I started to have my own book ideas, and after lots of years of learning the craft of writing while raising my five children, I’m happy to say that both my books and my children are out in the world now!

Reviews

[Liza Wiemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not always easy to teach young children to think about others, and JOEY AND THE GIANT BOX does it beautifully. Lakritz takes a common box and shows the creative ways children utilize them for hours and hours of fun. But she also shows how a box can be used to help feed the hungry and I kept thinking about how teachers can utilize this book to foster discussion. We have all seen boxes at grocery stores set up as a place to donate food. This thoughtful, empowering, important picture book takes it another step, showing how one little boy can inspire others to give.

A very special message in a world that needs as many acts of kindness as we can possibly give!

Definitely recommend!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joey is delighted when he gets to keep the giant box the dishwasher came in, but it takes up too much space in his room.

When his mom says the box has to go, he tries to find ways to keep his box. Mom tries to distract him by shopping for something new... and Joey gets a new, charitable idea for the big box.

I liked how this book shows diversity and charity, around a very kid-relatable subject - the desirable BIG box. (Joey is Jewish).

Adorable illustrations.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most youngsters love big boxes and can find all sorts of uses for them. In the case of Joey, the box in which his family's dishwasher arrives can serve as a spaceship or a fort. But it's so huge that it simply doesn't fit well in his room. When he sees a donation box filled with food for those who are hungry on a trip to the grocery store, he sets out to collect food for the local food bank and involves his classmates and teacher. After the box is filled, his teacher gives all the students small boxes to collect money to buy food for the needy. I liked the idea of giving back and caring about others, all inspired from a box that Joey's family planned to throw away and the compassion of one youngster.