What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wall
Tom is a little boy who LOVES to explore. But, one day, he hears the grown-ups talking about the monsters that live in the big, wide world and he is too scared to explore anymore. Soon, they build a giant wall to KEEP THE MONSTERS OUT – forever. But life becomes dreary when you are cut off from the wonders of the world and Tom soon realises there is a need for change…
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
32 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2021
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 26, 2022
‘The Wall’ (2021) by Jesse James with very lovely illustrations by Catalina Echeverri.
‘Wall’ is a delightful children’s picture book telling the lovely story of a boy named Tom, his love for the world and his sense of adventure - conversely ‘Wall’ is also about division and inclusivity, fear of the different, xenophobia, isolationism and separation.
Ultimately though, ‘Wall’ is an optimistic and positive book that gives us all hope in troubled times and for our increasingly divided world.
Importantly and mainly by virtue of it’s illustrations, ‘Wall’ is not reduced to being an over simplified message based around race or sex etc. and therefore escapes the traps of cliche and predictability that it could so easily have fallen into.
James and Echverri’s ‘Wall’ is a lovely story, well executed, with an important and valuable message, effectively delivered.
‘Wall’ is a delightful children’s picture book telling the lovely story of a boy named Tom, his love for the world and his sense of adventure - conversely ‘Wall’ is also about division and inclusivity, fear of the different, xenophobia, isolationism and separation.
Ultimately though, ‘Wall’ is an optimistic and positive book that gives us all hope in troubled times and for our increasingly divided world.
Importantly and mainly by virtue of it’s illustrations, ‘Wall’ is not reduced to being an over simplified message based around race or sex etc. and therefore escapes the traps of cliche and predictability that it could so easily have fallen into.
James and Echverri’s ‘Wall’ is a lovely story, well executed, with an important and valuable message, effectively delivered.
October 9, 2021
Wow! What a brilliant and thought provoking story. I am always looking for picture books aimed at a slightly older audience (my daughter is seven) which can lead to great discussions and this fits that category in abundance!
Tom is a young boy that loves to explore but he is warned by adults that it is not safe and that there are 'monsters' over the wall. Tom gets put off and stops exploring.
Tom gets fed up though and when a brightly coloured message appears from a little girl over the Wall he decides to take up exploring again. He manages to persuade the adults that there is nothing to fear after all and a whole world waiting to be enjoyed!
So many questions sprang to mind that young children might ask: Who were the monsters? What's behind the wall? What are they scared of? Why is Tom unhappy? I wish I was still teaching so I could explore this book with a class of children. This story prompts so many open ended questions. I used to love doing Philosophy for children (P4C) and this book would be perfect. I can imagine KS2 children holding some brilliant debates and discussions using this.
I loved the colour changes in the story which really portrayed the mood and feelings of the story. The illustrations throughout are stunning.
There are just so many great messages/themes in this story involving inclusion and diversity, taking risks and trying new experiences, accepting others and not being scared of the unknown. This story could also lead to duscussions about the media and how they can influence our decisions.
I think this is definitely a contender for my favourite picture book of the year. A brilliant picture books for a wide range of ages.
Tom is a young boy that loves to explore but he is warned by adults that it is not safe and that there are 'monsters' over the wall. Tom gets put off and stops exploring.
Tom gets fed up though and when a brightly coloured message appears from a little girl over the Wall he decides to take up exploring again. He manages to persuade the adults that there is nothing to fear after all and a whole world waiting to be enjoyed!
So many questions sprang to mind that young children might ask: Who were the monsters? What's behind the wall? What are they scared of? Why is Tom unhappy? I wish I was still teaching so I could explore this book with a class of children. This story prompts so many open ended questions. I used to love doing Philosophy for children (P4C) and this book would be perfect. I can imagine KS2 children holding some brilliant debates and discussions using this.
I loved the colour changes in the story which really portrayed the mood and feelings of the story. The illustrations throughout are stunning.
There are just so many great messages/themes in this story involving inclusion and diversity, taking risks and trying new experiences, accepting others and not being scared of the unknown. This story could also lead to duscussions about the media and how they can influence our decisions.
I think this is definitely a contender for my favourite picture book of the year. A brilliant picture books for a wide range of ages.
August 2, 2022
What a beautiful book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews