Rosa's Room

by Barbara Bottner, Beth Spiegel (Illustrator)

“Rosa had a new room in a new house. It seemed empty.”
Rosa and her mother have moved to a new house. Rosa knows what she needs to feel at home in her new on Monday, clothes in the closet; on Tuesday, her treasure box on her desk, on Wednesday, a poster on the wall. But still, somehow, her room seems empty. “More,” her cat Concertina seems to say.
Late at night in bed, she dreams about how to decorate her room. On Thursday, she borrows five new books from the library. On Sunday, as Rosa sits in her room drawing a picture, she looks out the window and sees a girl outside playing. Now Rosa knows what she needs to make her room a new friend to share everything with.
Illustrator Beth Spiegel’s full-color, appealing illustrations perfectly capture the resourceful spirit of the young protagonist, Rosa. This is a sensitive, simple story that shows young readers that even upsetting changes like moving can present exciting opportunities and imaginative possibilities for new experiences and new friends.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2004

About the author

Barbara Bottner, New York Times best-selling author, is a screenwriter, TV writer, and writing coach, who began her multi-hyphenate career as an artist and actor. Designing off-Broadway sets in the ’60s led her to performance and following her career in theatre, she began writing and illustrating books for children. In total, she has written over 40 books in all areas of children’s literature including Young Adult, Middle Grade, chapter, and "I Can Reads". Several of her award-winning picture books have been animated and translated into multiple languages.

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosa and her mother have moved to a new house. Rosa knows what she needs to feel at home in her new room: on Monday, clothes in the closet; on Tuesday, her treasure box on her desk; on Wednesday, a poster on the wall. But still, somehow, her room seems empty. "More," her cat Concertina seems to say. Late at night in bed, she dreams about how to decorate her room. On Thursday, she borrows five new books the library. On Sunday, as Rosa sits in her room drawing a picture, she looks out the window and sees a girl outside playing. Now Rosa knows what she needs to make her room feel just right: a new friend to share everything with. Illustrator Beth Spiegel's full-color, appealing illustrations perfectly capture the resourceful spirit of the young protagonist, Rosa. This is a sensitive, simple story that shows young readers that even upsetting changes like moving can present exciting opportunities and imaginative possibilities for new experiences and new friends. (

[Kate McGinty aka Caryn Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosa has a brand new bedroom in a brand new house in a town where she doesn't know anyone yet. And that room looks so bare, so sad and empty. The solution? Decorate it until it becomes her own. Finally, only one thing is missing: a friend to play with her there.

Rosa's Room is a lovely addition to the popular genre of books about moving. It shows the excitement of making a new house into a home, while acknowledging the sadness that goes with the change. The hopeful ending demonstrates that moving to a new town can lead to some happy surprises.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows Rosa on a new adventure. Rosa and her mother have moved to a new house, and to feel at home, Rosa needs to make her room feel like home. Although the book is straightforward, it carries a powerful message: even significant changes that may seem unwelcome can lead to exciting new opportunities. The central theme is finding a sense of home in a new environment.
Rosa tries to personalize her room with various decorations, but it only starts to feel like home when she befriends Lili. This book is intended for students in Pre-K through third grade and would be an excellent choice for encouraging creativity. After reading it, I would ask the students to design their dream room and reflect on whether they would feel happy in that space, even when no friends are present. This prompt encourages them to recognize that true happiness does not come from material possessions alone.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little story about creating your own space. Would be fantastic for a child going through a move and needs a bit of help adjusting.

[Jeani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very soothing story about change!

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosa finds things to fill her big empty room in her family's new house.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

cute.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about moving, simple and approachable... new friends are waiting around the corner... you can personalize a new room...

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosa fills her new room with stuff, but it doesn't feel quite right yet. She brings her new friend Lili over and now her room feels right.

[Katie Bourquine]

Beautifully illustrated but slightly boring. I would use this book as a main idea lesson because it only has one plain storyline. An art activity could be incorporated to have students draw their ideal room and write about it