The Paperboy

by Dav Pilkey

A boy and his dog savour the silence of the early morning as they deliver papers.

Genres: Picture Books, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, African American, Dogs, Juvenile

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1996

About the author

David "Dav" Pilkey (b. March 4, 1966), is a popular children's author and artist. Pilkey is best known as the author and illustrator of the Captain Underpants book series. He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, Sayuri.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book encourages me to stay in bed. We see that early morning time it’s still dark and the paperboy gets up out of bed and starts work. It looks brutal. He gets home when the sun is coming up and goes back to bed for some ‘z’s.

Dav does a wonderful job at showing what it’s like in the early morning playing with light and shadow and that feeling of the cold and wanting to be in bed. Where I grew up, they had a delivery van that brought the papers to each house. There was no paper boy or girl. I don’t think they have one in Baltimore either. I think this is mostly a bygone era job. Still, it’s nice to see their experience. I also like that the boy’s dog went with him everywhere. It’s good he had a companion in this early morning endeavor. It’s a real job they had. I guess the plus side of it is that you get to see the sun come up each day.

The nephew is up early every morning, so I could see him doing this rather easily when he gets older, if that job existed. He was shocked that the boy got to go do this all on his own. They let him go alone? He wouldn’t want to do something alone like this. He gave this 2 stars. The niece thought this was interesting. She thought it looked lonely also. She gave this 3 stars.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways Dav Pilkey's The Paperboy simply and evocatively presents an atmospheric, gentle account of a boy on his early morning paper route (accompanied only by his faithful canine companion, the boy slowly makes his way through a town still in the mists of sleep, still under night's cloak of darkness, silently, caressingly, and with understated pathos demonstrating, showing not only a job well-done, but the potential joys of being out and about in the pre-dawn quietude of a brand new day). Pilkey's text and accompanying images suit one another perfectly, providing not only a perfect mirror of one another on a visual, concrete level, but also capturing the insubstantial, the non fathomable, the moods and potential feelings engendered (I can thus most definitely understand why and how The Paperboy won a Caldecott Honour designation, as especially the induced spirit of the illustrations is outstanding, with a created glowing ambience that both delights and enchants).

However, and for me this is a rather problematic however, the main character, the eponymous paperboy, looks incredibly and in my humble opinion much too young for a solo pre-dawn paper route (although his age is never mentioned, to my eyes and judging from the illustrations, he appears as being about five to seven years of age, and while I am NOT in any way against children having tasks, responsibilities and even certain jobs, sending a very young boy out alone on a paper route while it is still dark outside, seems more than a bit foolhardy of especially the parents). But also, and perhaps even more importantly, why are the parents, or at the very least the young boy's mother, not up with the young boy to make sure he gets a good breakfast, and not just a bowl of cereal that he has to procure himself, but something warm and nourishing? I do find it rather strange and oddly uncomfortable that the young boy is so entirely alone, that the entire family (including the parents) are fast asleep when he prepares for and then goes on his paper route (for when we had our own paper routes as children, my mother definitely made sure we had a good breakfast and that we were appropriately dressed for the weather, and yes, we were also quite a bit older than this here little boy seems to be). And therefore, while the narrative and illustrations of Dav Pilkey's The Paperboy (while his combination of text and images) most definitely present a visually delightful, caressing and for many adults likely nostalgic flavour, the boy's seemingly young age and the fact that he not only has a solitary paper route in the dark, but also has to get dressed, eat breakfast, that he has to prepare for his paper route in utter solitude while EVERYONE else is still fast asleep, welll I find this fact both potentially troubling and really rather coldly comfortless, even saddening (as it just feels as though the boy is being for all intents and purposes absolutely ignored by his supposedly nearest and dearest).

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

A book about a boy who has a job that requires consistent early risings, and contribution to familial goals. It was a surprisingly real rendition of life - real life requirements from all family members.

My crew was interested - as none of them have ever had a job, or even a similar experience, beyond the olders taking care of the others from time to time. I remember jobs for which I was paid from the age 12 and up. That realization came as a surprise to me as I read out-loud to these darling people.

Still. Our life experience has been very different. An explanation of why someone would be delivering paper to people in the early morning. "Was it for their printers?" came the question. Our family quit reading newspapers long before these kids were even a twinkle.

Hm. A short history lesson then ensued. It was received with a big doses of skepticism. Sometimes you just have to move on.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surely I can't be the only one who sees similarities between this book and the works of Caldecott Medalist Ezra Jack Keats (The Snowy Day, 1963). Mr. Keats helped popularize the use of young African American characters through his picture books, and Dav Pilkey continues the tradition in The Paperboy, but that's not the main reason for comparing the two. It's the overall look and feel of the illustrations, as well as the simple narrative style, that invites comparison between the books of Ezra Jack Keats and this one done by Dav Pilkey. With understated story content accented by gorgeous paintings, Dav Pilkey demonstrates significantly that though his lasting fame may be for the comical exploits of his Captain Underpants series, he can do quiet and contemplative just as effectively, and The Paperboy has a Caldecott Honor citation to prove it. Rising before dawn with a working boy and his loyal dog becomes an experience to nurture the reader's soul in these pages, much as in Patricia MacLachlan's Fiona Loves the Night. The subdued majesty of predawn hours will never feel quite the same again.

It isn't pleasant, awakening early when it's cold and dark outside to start a daily job, but the paperboy knows people rely on him to be punctual. With bright yellow stars and a crescent moon hung high in the nighttime backdrop, he mounts his bike and delivers papers around town. The paperboy's neighborhood is almost completely hushed at this hour, and he enjoys the quiet ride with his dog, as two of the only creatures out and about. The rich solemnity of night waning to daybreak is something of a comfort as they finish their appointed rounds and kick it into high gear to return home, with the syrupy orange of a dreamsicle sun just beginning to sweeten the morning sky. The paperboy's task is done, and he can crawl into his warm bed and drift off to sleep awhile before the main waking hours of his day start, dreaming dreams big and small, resting in the comfort of knowing that all his work is already behind him and there's a full twenty-four hours before he must again wake up earlier than the sun and set to work on his delivery route. The paperboy shares a synchronicity of spirit with the wee morning that most will never know, but we all can glimpse and appreciate it in this book. It is, in its own way, a splendorous story.

I'm not amazed by every Caldecott Honor book to boast the distinction, but Dav Pilkey's paintings for The Paperboy are genuine works of art, as impressive each on its own as for the part it plays in forwarding the narrative. One could turn through the pages without reading the words and still come away with a warm, comforted feeling, and that's a credit to an exceptional artist who has created a substantial library of well-liked literature for young readers. The Paperboy carries value as a nonfiction picture book, too, a walkthrough of a paperboy's job in the era the book was published (1996). There's nothing here to blow readers away, but the story is good, sturdy, and pleasant, and anyone who appreciates fine art will enjoy it. I would likely give The Paperboy the full two stars.

[L-Crystal Wlodek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book about a boy and his dog delivering papers is recommended for children 4-8 years of age. It is a Caldecott Honor book. This story is simple, yet inspiring. It follows a boy and his dog as they deliver newspapers very early in the morning, when everybody else is sleeping and the sky is dark. Even though they are working, the dog and the boy are happy. The boy, riding, thinking in silence, tossing the morning paper, and watching the sun come up, and the dog, running, sniffing, and growling at cats.

This book was simple, yet sweet, inspiring, visually stimulating, and dreamlike. The author shows well the excitement of being out early, seeing the new day, and having that experience all to oneself. The words and illustrations work together and compliment each other. In the illustrations, each drawing shows the transformation from darkness to sunrise, making the reader feel like they are in the story. The author, who is well known for his silly "Captain Underpants" series, definitely took a different approach with this book. I would use this book during writer’s workshop to aide in teaching the use of describing words or when ever having to teach effective use of color, light, and value in art.

[Patricia Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason I rated this book so high is because of the pictures. The story was simple, a boy and his dog that deliver newspapers to all the houses early in the morning while everyone is asleep. They struggle to wake up, to get out of bed (because it is so warm in their beds, I know exactly how this feels), and eat their breakfast. It goes on to show the bond between the boy and his dog, and how they have mastered this job because they do not even have to think about the route. So, since the plot was so simple, it made the pictures really stand out, and they were outstanding.

The dark colors really set the mood and made me feel like I was there. The whole time I was picturing myself waking up during the winter at 6 am, to the darkness and gloominess of my room, the bitter cold, and struggling to get out of bed just like the characters in the book. It was very easy to relate to, so I'm sure kids will as well. But the illustrations are what made me think of these things, and feel the way I did. The skies in the pictures, during the early morning hours and when the sun started to rise, felt so realistic. The sun rise illustration reminded me of Arizona sun rises and sun sets. It was beautiful. The simple plot and outstanding pictures went great together. Great book.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before he became a household name, Dav Pilkey wrote and illustrated this 1990s picture book classic. Fans of Dav's later books (especially the Captain Underpants series), will enjoy seeing the early beginnings of his famous characters.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until I read this book, I thought of only two things when I thought of Dav Pilkey - Dumb Bunnies and Captain Underpants. I had no idea there was this more serious side to his work, or that his illustrations could be so soft and filled with such lovely detail and color. The story is about the morning routine of a paperboy, who gets up when everyone is asleep and heads out on his own to deliver newspapers. Every page evokes the silence and mystery of the early morning, and for twenty-first century kids who are more likely to read their news on a screen than on the printed page, the entire book provides insight into an experience most kids probably don't know about. For me, this book was a reminder of the stories my own father has told me about his experiences as a paperboy. This is one of several books I've read for this challenge so far that would be great to promote during the Dream Big, Read summer reading program this year.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read some of Pilkey’s comics (���Dog Man”, “Captain Underpants”), this is certainly more different than his usual fare yet very nice with so much blue as it tells the story of our paperboy and his dog doing their morning job. A- (91%/Excellent)

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely full color illustrations rendered in acrylics and India ink help tell the story of a paperboy's very early mornings. It isn't easy to rise and get his papers gathered together and head out on his paper route since it's always cool in the mornings. But he and his dog know their duties, and they somehow manage to get our there and deliver those papers every morning. The book captures perfectly how it feels to be the only person awake and watch the rest of the world coming to life before your eyes. It also describes how the boy, who is never named, goes about his job while thinking big and little thoughts, which is exactly how some of the best life plans get their start. I smiled when he and his canine companion head back to bed for a morning nap. This is a remastered version of a 1967 Caldecott Honor winner. As I read the book, I found myself wondering how much of a need there is for paperboys in today's digital society, which might make the book have an exceptionally nostalgic feel as the years go on.

[Maria Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Award Winning Books Assignment:

The illustrations is really what makes this book great. There is no questioning to why this book won a Caldecott for its illustrations. This picture book has a simple story about a boy who delivers newspapers early in the morning and travels back home to go back to bed while the world wakes up. The pictures are detailed with cool colors that portray the crack of dawn and the sunrise. The artist's use of colors was beautiful. I liked how the artist was able to depict the beauty of the moonlight into his drawings. I definitely recommend this book for children in Prek-2nd grade.

[Linda Lpp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting little book for youngsters, but the oldsters can always remember their mornings such as this. Gone are the days of paperboys, along with milkman.
Vibrant colors as you followed along the route. As you finish the book, you can't help but sigh. Ahhh to dream.

[MaryannP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a realistic fiction picture book that won the Caldecott Honor Book Award. I recommend reading this picture books to 1st/2nd graders to work on the following reading strategies; Making Connections, Questioning the Text, and Character Traits.

This book follows a young boy who seems very independent and takes care of himself. He gets up early in the morning when it's still dark. He eats breakfast with his dog and gathers newspapers to deliver. He doesn't think when he puts the newspapers together or follows the route because he does it every weekend. The text mentions that he thinks about other big and small things when delivering the papers. This leaves the reader questioning what he's thinking about. The text also mentions that he's the happiest at delivery time. We are left wondering why.

The illustrations are beautiful and show the colors of night and sunrise well. Acrylic paint is used and the illustrations highlight what is occurring in the text. I would recommend reading this book because it is a short text that can be used to teach multiple strategies.

[Alex Baugh]

Every morning, while it is still dark and everyone else in his family is asleep, a young boy and his dog quietly get out of their warm bed, eat some breakfast, then head out to the garage to fold a bunch of newspapers, getting them ready for delivery. Then, the paperboy, with his dog, heads out on his bicycle to deliver the paper to all his customers. The two pals have done their paper route so often, they know it by heart. After delivering his last paper, boy and dog head back home and, yup, you guessed it, right back to bed for a while. Pikey's illustrations, done with acrylics and India ink, really capture the silence and clearness of early morning and you can almost feel the dew forming on the grass. This is a simple, but inspiring story about doing a good job and about the companionship and loyalty of your best canine friend. My brother used to have a paper route, and while it was a nice way to make some extra money, but it's not an easy job. Interestingly no mention is made of the young paperboy's race, other then in the illustrations.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This primary level, Caldecott Honor book, is the wonderfully written and illustrated tale of a boy's paper route. This young boy awakes before the sun rises to roll-up and deliver his papers. The author describes how warm the boy's bed feels and how hard it is for even the dog to awake at this hour. Boys and girls (and adults) can all relate to that type of tired feeling they have experienced when woken up before the sun rises. The artwork in this book depicts the cold backdrop just before dawn , which perfectly describes the chilly darkness in which the boy must deliver his papers. As the sun rises near the conclusion of the book, the illustrations become more bright and warm. I really like how the simple wording and the illustrations work together to capture the cool, quiet, peaceful world in the early morning hours. This book does teach responsibility, as the boy wakes, feeds him

self, and delivers the papers on his own as his parents sleep in their bed. This is a wonderful picture book suitable for young readers.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It goes without saying that The Paperboy is my favorite Dav Pilkey book. The illustrations echo The Snowy Day and the plot mirrors Where the Wild Things Are. Literally.

"...and crawls back into bed, which is still warm."

"and into the night of his very own room
where he found his supper waiting for him
and it was still hot."

Nevertheless, I adore the simple story of a boy, a dog, and a paper route. It's from another time, and yet timeless. I don't know one child who delivers newspapers nowadays, in part because paper newspaper is a dying industry--and the world is more dangerous every year. Pilkey captures a moment of innocence in the predawn hours, stillness and safety and escape. This one is a must in my classroom library.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this simple picture book, a boy wakes up before dawn to deliver papers. It is a Caldecott Honor book and the illustrations are amazing. The play of light and dark really set the quiet mood of the pre-dawn hour. This would make a fabulous read aloud or addition to the classroom library. It can be used for modeling or teaching various reading strategies such as connections and character traits.

After reading this book, I listened to the audio book from my library. I much preferred the book to the audio book because I could set the mood. When reading the book I found this story to be peaceful. When listening to the audio book, the music made me feel sad and like the boy disliked this early morning job.

Recommended age: Pre K-2nd grade
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book

[Rina Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The paperboy book is for children that attendant 1- 3 grade. The story is simple is about a boy who gets up in morning to do his job. His best friends that is the dog help him with the work. Dav Pilkey is not only the authors , but also he is the painter of the story. Dav show a perfect lines as he draw the dogs' tale horizontal and the paperboy bag empty is fight in the air. This gives the reading the opportunity to get into the story ,and imagine how the boy ride his bike in motion. The color of the pictures that author used in his book represent emotion and establishes of mood. In fact, the composition that author used in this story create an overall effect.

[Mommywest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book, with such great illustrations. The Caldecott Medal is well-deserved. The story of a paperboy and his dog waking up before everyone else to ensure the paper is delivered on time, and how it feels to wake up when it is still chilly and they are still sleepy, is delightful. Great book to help children appreciate others and their hard work, and to inspire them to be willing to make sacrifices in their own lives.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands down the most beautiful thing I've seen Pilkey make (prolific illustrator before Captain Underpants and Dogman etc). Published in 1996, this scenic, jewel-toned painted book follows a young Black kid and cute dog (corgi!)on a newspaper route before the world and neighborhood wake up. (NOT an #ownvoices book, still a sweet representation nonetheless).

[Elisa Pereyra-Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character is a little boy and his dog. The story highlights the boys huge responsibility that he takes care of on his own with parental help. His dog is featured and give children an idea about how a dog might interpret its world. I enjoyed that this book is racial diverse.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through the author's words and paintings the Caldecott Honor book shows a responsible young boy and his dog as they wake, prepare to go out on their paper route and fulfill their morning duty and return home and back to bed.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story with charming pictures. A huge change of pace for author Dav Pilkey. =)

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by the art and the words, but also the experience of being out by oneself in the early morning when everyone else is asleep.

[Nikki Romano · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Paperboy is written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey. This story is about a young boy and his dog and their early morning routine of delivering newspapers. This realistic fiction story is a great way to read aloud a simple story that can be retold or remade by students. The illustrations beautifully depict the early mornings before the sun rises in the morning. This story tells the events bit by bit without a conflict or problem but rather a recount of a simple story.

I would use this book as a read aloud to students PreK-3rd grade. I would have this in my classroom library as a leveled book or under the realistic fiction bin for genres. I would also use this as a mentor text to represent a small moment story, telling the story bit by bit, or telling a simple story with no conflict (other than him not wanting to get out of bed).

Teachers can use this book to teach about character traits without dialogue. The paper boy demonstrates responsibility, perseverance, reliability, and dependability. Teachers can use this book to practice inferring things such as: Why does this young paper boy have to deliver papers? Why does he do this? Why is he so committed to do this every morning so early? What would happen if he didn't do is paper route? how does he feel when he is done?

Overall this was a nice story with simple words but leads the reader to really think about the boy and his life more.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey is a realistic fiction book. The book follows a paperboy from the beginning of his day to the end of his paper route. The book talks about what the paperboy thinks of while on his route. Honestly this is just a really satisfying story, while reading the book it made me want to curl into bed with a warm blanket. I think part of the reason is because the book follows a boy who wakes up early to go to work then goes straight to bed. Another reason could be that the author’s writing was able to make me as the reader feel what the main character was feeling. All throughout his route the paperboy thought about going back home and going back to bed. The author was able to perfectly capture this with his writing. The genre of the book is realistic fiction. I think the main message is that hard work is rewarded since after his long morning at work he is rewarded with a nice warm bed. I think I could use this book to teach children about hard work. Considering the main character is very hardworking. This is a WOW book for mean because I loved how the author was able to make me feel exactly how the main character was feeling.

[Jessica Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Caldecott Honor contemporary fiction book for children three to six years old. A boy and his dog get ready to deliver papers. This paperboy and his dog struggle to get out of their warm bed. Once they do rise from bed they start their paper route. When they get started they know exactly what to do and where to go. The dog follows the Paperboy everywhere. There are only a few sentences on each page, but the illustrations make up for that. The illustrations take up the entire page and are beautifully done. The characters are more detailed than the background, bringing the readers attention to where it's needed. Friendship and responsibility are two major themes in this story. The Paperboy has a constant companion in his dog. The Paperboy still gets out of his warm bed even though he doesn't want to. He still goes out into the cold before anyone else is awake because he has an obligation and a responsibility. The Paperboy finishes his route before going back to sleep, teaching readers to take care of their responsibilities. I read this book and listened to it on EBooks. Narrated by Forest Whitaker who has a calming voice, pianos play relaxing music in the background. This book would be appealing to children as a bedtime story because the story takes place very early in the morning before the sun is up. I would also read this book with any children who need to be reminded of responsibility.

[David Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text-to-Text Connection

Dav Pilkey, intentionally or not, draws some similarities in this book to the 1963 book by Ezra Jack Keats, "The Snowy Day". Both books presents a stereotype free depiction of an African-American lead character. Keats and Pilkey are able tell a simple stories and present the characters for who they are as normal children and not as a racial or ethnic stereotype. I do not know if this was Pilkey's intent, or whether he was simply drawing pictures, but in the end he succeeds in drawing comparisons to this early work and does a good job of presenting a quality character.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dav Pilkey isn’t my favorite artist, but his illustrations are homey and comforting: the little dog with his tongue hanging out, the boy and dog eating from their “bowls”, the spread with the pine tree overlooking the small town.

My favorite books of Pilkey’s are his Dragon early reader books. They are simple, funny, sweet, and sometimes quite thought provoking. So too, with this book. The text isn’t just the physical actions of the boy, but also his thoughts (or lack of them) and feelings of happiness and contentment. I feel like it should end with Browning, “God’s in His Heaven/All’s right with the world”.

*bonus star for things from my childhood that are no longer “a thing”: paperboys delivering newspapers and Saturday morning cartoons

[Sedona Merlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mommy read this to me! I wish I could have a paper route