Sometimes a Wall

by Dianne White, Barroux (Illustrator)

An afternoon in the playground introduces different kinds of walls: a brick wall to draw on with chalk, a water wall, and a climbing wall. What follows is a playful yet profound exploration of the many ways walls can divide us or bring us together. When one child is excluded from a game, another builds a castle to leave him out. When the builder declares the castle MINE, other kids feel alienated―but the builder becomes lonely, too, when the others have fun without him. The book ends with the optimism of a new start: friendship, forgiveness, and imagination give the wall new meaning.

Told with short, simple lines of playful, rhyming text and loose line illustrations by internationally known artist Barroux, this book sparks questions with empathy, insight, and charm. It’s a timely tool for inquiry-based and social-emotional learning, sharing the important message that walls can unite or divide, depending on the choices we make.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Juvenile, Emotion

32 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2020

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story here is a bit difficult to follow, perhaps because the text is so sparse. It took me a couple of readings to figure out what was going on. Basically, a kid builds walls and ends up alone and sad. And then... walls are apparently a good thing? I'm still not sure.

I really don't like this one. With a title like Sometimes a Wall, I would expect to see both sides of the issue. But the walls in the story are pretty much all negative (at least metaphorically). Sure, a climbing wall is fun, but that's not what we're really talking about here, is it?

I wouldn't recommend this. The message is too muddled.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for providing a digital ARC.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has a nice premise (walls can be good or bad and there are lots of kinds of walls) but the delivery is a little lacking. It's one of those picture books where there is the text and then there are random words all over the pages too, making it difficult to read as a read-aloud. It's too youngish for older readers but younger readers will need it read to them (and then you have to point and read random words), so it's hard to say who the designated audience is. I could see it being used as a discussion tool in a classroom, but it's not exactly a book kids would *enjoy* and is too sparse to actually teach much. The art is nice enough and any book that encourages this kind of dialog is nice, but for me it was two stars for "it was okay."

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

[Etienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good! A very confusing message in my opinion, starting saying a wall it bad and then saying it's good because it can be pretty (big shortcut here I know but it's what come out of it in the end). I wouldn't recommend it!

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

We hear a lot about walls these days, and they can have different reasons for being, as young readers learn in this new picture book. Kids see that walls can be drawn on with chalk, or they can be a wall of cooling water on a hot summer day, they can even be a rock wall on which to practice climbing. And sometimes walls can be inclusionary, but they can also be exclusionary.

And sometimes when a wall is exclusionary, the children behind it can be mean, and the child outside the wall can be hurt by their taunts and lies. When one boy inside a wall decides to turn it into a castle, after all the other kids work together to build it, he selfishly shouts MINE and wants all the other children go away. But sometimes, having your own castle surrounded by a wall and no friends can get pretty lonely. Perhaps a new start can turn things around because...a wall can lead to anything!

When I first read this book, I loved it, but I was also afraid it might be a little to metaphorical for my young readers. And it was. However, it generated some really good conversations and reflexions regarding what this book says about friendship, inclusion, empathy, kindness, and connection. These are big words and ideas for young kids, but this book so nicely illustrates what they mean using the sparest of text and simple, but expressive illustrations. We've read Sometimes a Wall... a number of times now, and each time it get richer and more meaningful. The kids also had some fun with the two coloring pages (see below for the link) that go with this book.

Who is Dianne White and why did she write Sometimes a Wall...?
A conversation with a friend got author Dianne White thinking about different kinds of wall, both physical and metaphorical. Sometimes a Wall...is an exploration of these, and with it, an invitation to take down barriers and find common ground. Dianne's other books include Green on Green and Who Eats Orange? A long-time elementary school teacher, she lives with her family in Gilbert, Arizona. To learn more, and to download a discussion guide and more, visit Dianne's website at diannewrites.com
You can also find her on Twitter @diannewrites and on Facebook: Dianne White

This book is recommended for readers age 4+

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wall can be many things, and when it divides people, hard questions must be asked. Is it fair? Do I want to share what the wall is guarding? In this picture book, very simple rhyming phrases and words show kids building a wall. One boy proclaims that the wall is all his, his goal clearly being to exclude another boy. When several children join the excluded child in painting the outside of the severe gray wall with lively flowers, the boy who wanted to exclude others regrets his stand, and finally joins all of the children in creating a joyful painted wall. The two boys end up as friends.

I really like the simple treatment of inclusion vs exclusion, and showing that people who are “mean” can change. Adults will make political interpretations of this message, but young readers will most likely take it at face value: it’s okay to make mistakes, and there is value in sharing. Barroux’s art, which looks to be pen and ink and watercolors, in a simple naïve style with textured colors, is reminiscent of the French artist Sempé, and is perfectly suited to the tale.

Younger children may need to be guided to see the symbolism of the wall.

[Kathy Iwanicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Such a simplistic way of getting children to think about the damage a wall can do, while also showing that a wall can do good. I would definitely use in my classroom.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC through NetGalley from OwlKids Books. This was a great conversation starter for kids ages 4 - 7 about what a wall can be. The book showed people build walls up in confrontation, but how they can break walls down to be friends. While there wasn't many words, there was a lot to discuss and think about. Nice artwork and page spreads. The art captured my sons attention.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing an advance read in exchange for an honest review.

The reading of this picture book is all in the delivery. Children will read it, but I'm not sure they will get the big picture (no pun intended).

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
This is definitely a read together book to talk about friendship. White uses simple words to create much larger meaning. However, younger readers may need help to understand where the story is going. The illustrations are powerful - especially the character expressions.
Terrific way to talk about walls and how they shut some people out. Also helps to share about how people can connect and reconnect by changing the walls to include others.
The message is needed but may not be clear to the target audience.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because Sometimes a Wall is so sparse in words, it's one of these picture books where you have to read between the lines and analyze the illustrations. This could prove useful in read alouds when you want to hold a detailed discussion about each page with your students. Otherwise, the book doesn't say much at all and the simplistic message (don't use walls to keep people out or put yourself above others) could probably be conveyed in a more engrossing story.

[Neha Thakkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and sweet story about how walls can be built to keep people out, or to let them in. After listing and illustrating different types of walls, one child wants to keep the wall for himself, what will the other children do? Wonderful story of the analogy of building a wall to building a friendship.

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a cute story about friendship, but it isn't anything special. The metaphor was confusing at times.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I like what White was trying to do here, but I'm honestly not sure, because I can't tell exactly what White was trying to say. Obviously there's the trite-but-true "be nice to others" message. [yawn] And there's the "apologize to friends after disagreements" message. But ... what else is going on here? I feel bad giving a picture book one star, but the fact is, I just didn't like this book.

I'm glad I didn't read this aloud to a child, because the child would have questions, and I would have no answers.

The layout is aimed at very young children, with just a few words on each page. The artwork is fine. But the words are sometimes a bit advanced for the youngest children.

And I have no idea what's really going on in this book. First we start off with "so many kinds of walls to see" and I really thought we'd be going for brick, wood, earth, etc. But no. It's some sort of symbolism. I think? We've got:
* chalk wall (a child drawing on a brick wall with chalk - is that a "chalk wall"? to me, a chalk wall should be a wall made of chalk. But I guess a "chalk board" is a board you draw on with chalk, so okay.)
* spill wall (a child standing under what appears to be a fountain running over the wall - I really don't know what this is supposed to be)
* rock wall (a climbing wall. Okay. I understand this one - walls can be fun!)
* hill wall (the art shows a GAP in the wall, and through the gap we can see what looks like a city park surrounded by another wall, with some tall buildings in the distance ... I guess there's supposed to be a hill in the park? I don't see the hill.)
* we wall
* shout wall
* me wall
* out wall
And I have no idea what's going on here on this page, what is a "we wall" or a "me wall"?? I don't know. The artist didn't seem to know either. It's a bunch of kids holding hands, and then that same gap in the wall, and one kid standing alone sort of smiling. What is going on??

Then we read "sometimes a wall can come between ... gather ... build ... walls rise" but instead of coming "between" the kids, the kids are shown cooperating to build a brick wall. There are ladders and cement and architectural drawings and everything. This is not what kids really play with, but I guess this is meant to be in their imagination?

And then for no reason at all we read "sometimes a person can be mean ... mischief ... taunts ... whispered lies" (this sounds more like a Pat Benatar song than a children's book!) and the art shows the kid who had been previously gathering supplies now being ostracized and the kids who had been building a wall with him are sneering at him. What just happened? What are we meant to make of this?

It gets more confusing from there. One of the taunting kids gets progressively meaner, until he's left all alone inside the castle the kids built, and he realizes it's no fun to be alone, so he invites everyone in, and they all play together, because "a wall can lead to anything ... watch ... wave ... hopeful ... brave ... mend ... friends."

And this is the sort of simplistic scenario that is so common in picture books but never really plays out that way in real life. That kid was a bully, and you just know he's going to pull that nonsense again. He didn't apologize. The other kids never dealt with their hurt feelings. They just all played together again.

In summation, I was excited to read a book about walls, but I have no idea what this book was about.

[Melissa the Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not to be too corny, but this is a book divided.

But first, the good things: I love the illustrations. I'm a huge fan of books that utilize this style where a blob of color overlaid by fine black ink. I also liked the diversity of children represented. The illustrator captures a sense of playfulness and childhood that I love.

That's why it's a shame that the text of this book can't decide what it's trying to be. It starts out with a strong concept--"There are many types of walls in the world" (ok, great!), and "walls can be all sorts of things" (awesome!), now "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" (huh?), also, "walls can be bad and divide people" (true, but huh?)--and it ends on a weird note "friendship is great, let's paint this castle!"

Is this a book about how fun walls can be and how they are fodder for the imagination (like cardboard boxes or pillow forts)? Is this a book about the importance of friendship and kindness? Is it a not-so-subtle political commentary on Trump's wall? Is it inspired by Dr. Seuss' rhyming concept words? Who even knows.

I think this book would have been more successful as a "learn about walls" concept book. Don't get me wrong, I'm not pro-Trump-wall, but as a children's librarian, I have little patience for books like this--political preaching cloaked under the guise of "friendship." The main reason is that the message is so abstract, the subtext so subtle, that while adults will understand what this book is trying to say, children likely will not. This is, in my opinion, a book written for adults, not children.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes a Wall... by Dianne White is a lovely story about all the things a wall can be on a playground. It should be obvious to anyone who has been awake for the past few years that this book is referring to the actual border wall between the US and our neighbor, while also generally applying to the metaphorical walls that can be raise between people and friends.

I read this aloud with my 3.5 yr old son. The illustrations are bright and beautiful. It reads a little strangely as a read aloud, like it was trying to be thoughtful and profound by writing in a sort-of-verse. But I'm an adult reading out loud to a small: children's books need to be easily read aloud.

Unfortunately, it falls under the category of books "who try to do all the thinking for the kids" rather than letting them work it out through a beautiful story. As beautiful as it is, there's no room for imagination, and my son had no interest in discussing what was on the pages.

Cute idea, beautiful pictures, nice message---lamely executed.

Thank you NetGalley and OwlKids for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

[Angeline]

Dianne White picture book, “Sometimes a Wall” tells a story of walls that may divide or even bring together. Explaining that there is a variety of walls to explore, meaning there are multiple people with different personalities. Who might not always share the same ideas but could be brought together to create better ideas. This is one of the books I chose for the theme of assimilation/immigration because there are many people with multiple walls meaning that sometimes these walls can come between, they could either gather or rise. Many different sides and points of view could be portrayed, but however everything occurs for a reason, and it could lead to anything. The last image is shown as an example of assimilation everyone is on the castle with different drawings, but it is all one. Although when moving, it might be difficult for everyone can assimilate and create new bonds with people who do not share the same ideas, everything is a learning process. The images relate to what has been a topic in class regarding the colors. the wall itself are gray, but further on in the story, the wall( bricks) becomes a bright color mix with every rainbow color possible

[Lara Maynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes a Wall

The author, Diane White, dedicates this book to Stephanie Green “who asked for a book about walls.” One has to wonder if her request was motivated by the “Build the wall!” campaign of the United States presidential candidate turned current president and his supporters. If that political context might be lost to many of the kids who interact with this picture book, it can hardly be lost on any adult readers tuned in at all to world affairs.

But this picture book is presented without political commentary. It is, rather, on its surface, a book which presents walls as objects or structures that can be mean, unfair, or hopeful or overcome for friendship. Let’s hope the same can be said for the walls of world politics, both metaphorical and physical.

I read a digital proof of Sometimes a Wall by Diane White and illustrated by Barroux via NetGalley and the publisher, Owlkids Books.

[Ricki · Rating 5 out of 5]

My own children have been asking about walls. They hear about them in school (in preschool and first grade), and they come home with a lot of questions. This book offers such great fodder for conversations about walls. The wall in this book evolves, and it is up to the reader to interpret many aspects about the wall and its purpose. I love how this opens discussions for what walls might represent and how they might differ in various conceptions. For instance, the wall in this book might be described as a border wall or it might be describe attached to a metaphorical or ideological wall. This is a book that will make readers of all ages think. I read the book three times in a row (which is not often my approach) because I kept thinking about new applications of the text. This would make a phenomenal classroom text and would be great for critical thinking and discussions. I recommend it highly.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes a Wall is a book that I couldn't wait to read, expecting largely the message that it delivers. The illustrations are spot-on, but I struggled with the format of the book. The storyline is too young for the level of reader that can follow varying locations of text around a page but doesn't lend itself well to a straightforward read-aloud for the same reason, making it less than ideal for younger listeners. This book could spur valuable conversational bout friendship and exclusion, separation and acceptance, but it would need adult support to really get at the depth of the message. There is definitely teaching value in this book, but it would not be my recommendation for an independent student read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

[Abigail Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Sometimes a Wall" is a very sweet book about friendship! I have to say that I started it very confused as the beginning is odd. There was not a clear set up of the positives of a wall (or even neutral) before it moved into the negatives. The book follows children and some walls. At first the children and some walls are just there and then it morphs into some children building a castle to keep others out and then it transitions into friendship and creating together. The second movement from mean to kind and friendship was beautiful. I could see my kids not getting the beginning though and it just starts the book a little 'off.' The illustrations we're absolutely beautiful and sweet! I loved them. I also loved the message of friendship!

A huge thank you to OwlKids through NetGalley for my copy! My views are my own.

[em · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about different walls that individuals will encounter in society, throughout their life. It follows a group of children playing and exploring and explores collaboration, friendship, exclusion, imagination and other situations that the building or breaking down of a wall provide. I did not love this story for children, I did not really understand the point, I found the one word per page or situation quite odd. It was hard to follow and I do not think the point came across clearly. The illustrations were great. I may have this in a classroom for students to read, about friendship and collaboration, but I would not use it as an adaptation. Thanks to NetGalley for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

[C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes a wall can separate and sometimes it can bring together. In sometimes a wall a group of friends enjoy building a wall and creating a castle and tower, and through it there is an exploration of separation and how they can come back together.

This is largely a simple story with words to describe feelings and emotions. However I really loved the way the children illustrations support the simple text in this story. The playful style of the illustrations serves as a counterbalance to the sometimes serious aspects in the text and keeps it feeling child appropriate while allowing the opportunity to discuss emotions.

Thanks to NetGalley and OwlKids for a copy of this book.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a Wall takes place on a playground where the children have different walls to experience. They learn that walls can bring us together or keep us apart. Walls can bring out feelings of community or feelings of isolation.

The simple text will keep younger children engaged with its rhyming words. School age students will be use the text and illustrations to use their retelling skills, improving narrative, inferencing, and description skills along the way.

Thank you to OwlKids Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC for review.

[Ess · Rating 2 out of 5]

We did not like this book; the kid hated it. Kid says “I don’t understand what this is about.”
Adult says “It’s too abstract and there is no verb and adjective agreement.”
There was no consistent cadence to the one word pages. And a lot of the words were not anything that had to do with a wall or what you could do with a metaphorical wall.
The drawings were cute, but the wall randomly turning into a castle was confusing to not just Kid, but Adult too.

I received an ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[raccoon reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

It seemed to be missing words. I know it's not, but reading it to my son...neither of us were a fan of how it was written. If you like books with open spaces for you to fill in then this might be a good book for you. It just so happens my little is not a fan of books where you fill in the spots or where it's light on the words. Some of the words they had after the main sentence just didn't feel right, like "So many things we choose to do...." then above the drawn people "stare" and over another "sign." Sign? Huh? Oh well. Definitely would recommend for those who like books with few words.

[Maxie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes a Wall by Diane White
Diane White, the author of Sometimes a Wall, is a delightful book about how walls can divide, or separate things, and people. It sheds light on what walls can do and when they may not be the best tool. It points a light for little ones to understand how a divider a wall can be in a neighborhood, a classroom, community, or country. Sometimes a Wall can bring about many discussions about borders. It is easy reading for students in first through fourth grades.

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this make-lemons-out-of-lemonade book, the lemon is a wall. In the beginning, the author tells of all the great kinds of walls before building one that keeps a child apart and left out. He then has to find a solution. I just feel like in the current political climate, a wall was not the best way to make this point.

Thanks to NetGalley and OwlKids books for the digital review copy. This review is cross-posted to Goodreads and Instagram.

[Nic · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I do like the art style of this one, I don't love the story behind it. It feels thin and flat, particularly in a time when walls are such an important topic of conversation. There's very little of the why here, or the why not, and the sparse language rather than leaving room for imagination leaves the reader confused about what is happening in the story.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for review via NetGalley.

[Jane Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

#SometimesaWall #NetGalley
This book would be a great conversation starter in Kindergarten - second grade. With simple line illustrations and few words the story presents the many ways that walls can be used for fun but also to keep others out. A teacher, parent or a trusted adult is an important part of processing and getting the most out of this book.

[Jenn Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-intended but unfortunately lacking in its execution.

Walls can mean all different things - good, bad, in between. This message is conveyed in a disjointed manner and never came together for me. There have been other books that managed this topic more successfully.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.