Red Wagon

by Renata Liwska

All Lucy wants to do is play with her brand-new, bright red wagon. But her mother has other plans for her-and the wagon. Lucy must go to the market and buy vegetables for dinner. Lucy doesn't want to do chores! But she sets off for the market nonetheless, hauling her red wagon with her. Before long, her ordinary trip becomes a high-seas adventure, a ride through outer space, and a day at the circus. As long as she has her red wagon, not even chores can get in the way of Lucy's fun.

New York Times bestseller Renata Liwska's most vibrant art ever takes center stage in this imaginative book for the youngest of readers.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Adventure, Storytime, Transport, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 17, 2011

About the author

Originally from Poland, I live in Canada with my illustrator husband Mike Kerr.
Growing up in Europe I went to a high school where the main focus was art. I got a strong foundation in the basics of image making, such as drawing, painting, design, and sculpture. When I came to Canada I went to the Alberta College of Art & Design, where I figured out how to use the art skills I had learned in Warsaw.

A lot of my work is autobiographical, My best work involves subjects that I can relate to personally. I need to be able to get involved in my illustrations on an emotional level and I like to incorporate personal experience whenever possible.

I draw almost exclusively in my many sketchbooks. Their portability and intimate scale make them the heart of my creative endeavors. One of the most important parts of my process is finding a way to approach an illustration in the right creative state of mind. Thsi can be as simple as going for a walk and doing sketches outside the studio. I find a quiet place where I can create my own world in my sketchbook where the characters can do and be whatever my heart wishes.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renata Liwska, the talented Polish-born illustrator who created the lovely artwork for Deborah Underwood's The Quiet Book , The Loud Book! and The Christmas Quiet Book , takes up the role of author as well in this sweet picture-book, which follows the story of Lucy, a little fox who wants nothing more than to play with her new red wagon. When her mother dispatches her to the market to fetch some vegetables, Lucy is unhappy at first, seeing this as a chore. But soon her friends join her on the way, and they become involved in all manner of imaginative games - pretending they are sailing on a ship, or performing in a circus - transforming what could have been a simple task into a journey of discovery and play.

Using the same style that she did in the Underwood books - the artwork is done in pencil, and then colored digitally - Liwska creates the same sort of appealing animals characters here, from the charming Lucy, with her expressive face and adorable little pink bow, to her many fun-loving friends. I enjoyed the illustrations in The Red Wagon immensely, which was to be expected, given my fondness for Liwska's work elsewhere, but I also really appreciated the storytelling, with its delightful tribute to the power of the imagination, which can transform ordinary humdrum tasks into opportunities for fun and make-believe. Specifically, I appreciated the interplay between text and image, as the artwork expands upon the simple text, telling more of the story than can be conveyed in words alone. Recommended to all young children who enjoys games of make-believe themselves, as well as to fans of Renata Liwska's work.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my read-a-picture-book-a-day project, I have "met" so many wonderful authors and illustrators. I LOVE Renata Liwska's illustrations, and now see that she is as charming with words as she is with pictures. This is the story of Lucy, the little fox, who has a brand new red wagon. Before she can play with it, her mother asks her to use the wagon to go to the store. To Lucy, that does not sound like much fun. But with hedgehog, raccoon, squirrel, bunny, bear and bird friends in tow Lucy sets off for the market. What might have been an ordinary trip becomes an exciting adventure as Lucy's imagination, wonderfully illustrated, conjures up a flood, a circus, a train, spaceship ride, and more.

[shelby ☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the thrift store and it’s one of my favorites on my son’s bookshelf. This book is absolutely precious. The illustrations are darling!

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sooo darling! I love Renata Liwska's artwork from The Quiet Book series and the characters here are of that same cute, cuddly ilk.

Here, little Lucy wants to play with her red wagon but busy mama needs Lucy's help gathering groceries at the market. *sigh* On her way to the market, Lucy meets some friends and together they have a wonderful journey together as the red wagon takes on many new and thrilling identities. The ending is really adorable and highlights the marvelous talent children have in being able to "play" through chores.

[Haines Eason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liwska's creatures are fully realized and completely intertwined, and as a group they are terribly charming (though I have to admit I'm in love with the hedgehog). The story is simple - a trip to and from the market using a wagon for the groceries - and this leaves room to explore the wagon's transformations (the heart of the book) with your little one. A must-have book for the nursery.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy has a bright-red new wagon that she wants to play with so badly. When she asks her mother though, her mother sends her on an errand to the market. Lucy takes her red wagon to help her, but isn’t sure that it sounds like much fun. On the way, Lucy and her friends have great imaginary adventures that include surviving a flood, being part of a wagon train, performing in a circus, and flying in a rocket. By the time she gets back to her mother, Lucy is tuckered out completely but finally is free to play with her wagon.

Liwska is the artist behind The Quiet Book and The Loud Book. This book is her first as both author and illustrator. One could never tell that she hasn’t been writing books for children for some time. She has just the right amount of text per page, clever pacing, and humor to spare. It is all done from a child’s point of view with a child’s voice, making it very charming.

Her art is stellar with its spiraling lines that create soft textures. There are small touches throughout that add humor and fun to the story. I particularly like the three-eyed raccoon in the UFO when they are pretending to rocket into space.

A clever, warm book about helping out and still having fun, this book celebrates the joy of a vivid imagination. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Allison Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy wants to play with her new red wagon, but her mother asks her to go to market with it instead. "That sounded like a chore. Lucy didn't want to do chores." But she listens to her mother, and completes the task. While the narration describes the mundane details of the journey, the charming, cheery illustrations tell the REAL story: joined by her friends, Lucy's wagon is transformed with each turn of the page into a pirate ship, a circus caravan, a chugging train. This book would be a wonderful complement to Not a Box or Not a Stick, or many other similar stories. Liwska, illustrator of the much beloved The Quiet Book, shows her storytelling skills by offering a sophisticated take on this imaginative theme with this tale's joyously disjointed juxtoposition of two versions of the same story. To play!

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy is excited to play with her new wagon--but her mother sends her to the market on a mission so fun must wait. Or must it? Highly imaginative illustrations transform the wagon on the journey to and from the market, showing the enjoyment of Lucy and her friends ranging from battling ocean waves to chugging their train down the road. I would definitely use this for a preschool storytime. While the fantasy scenes won't stand out as much for younger readers in that range, the pre-K crowd will be overcome by giggles at the adventures of Lucy, her friends and her new wagon.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give the illustrations 4 stars, but the story wasn't as engaging.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

By the illustrator of The Quiet Book and The Loud Book, a warm, playful story with adorable animal characters.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute, full of imagination.

[Brooke Milone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy, the fox got a brand new red wagon, and her mother asked her to go to the market. She went with her friends, a rabbit, a raccoon, and a porky pine. At the top of the hill it started to rain and on the way down they were floating on waves. By the time they left the market they were connecting carts to the wagon acting like it was a train. While going down the big hill once again they hit a bump so hard they flew into the air and were in space ships. By the time she got home to play with the wagon she fell asleep in it. I liked this book because all the different scenarios the animals were in while going to the market.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book! The illustrations are adorable and I enjoyed Lucy's imagination running wild with her wagon on the way to the market and back home. The last illustration is very adorable and made me smile. The foxes are probably my favorite animal in this book due to the illustrations. Buuuut I may also be a bit bias since foxes are one of my favorite animals. Overall great book! It's a quick read. Maybe a sentence or two on each page.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Wagon by Renata Liwska, is a picture book filled with disguised adventure. The little fox only wants to play, but her mother has other plans. After reluctantly going on an errand, the little fox quickly becomes engulfed in her journey. The wagon turns into a ship, a rocket, and even a train. When children use their imagination, even the most mundane tasks become exciting.

[Rachel Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red Wagon is about a little fox name Lucy. Lucy has a new wagon that she wants to play with but she has to go to the market and get vegetables for her mother in order to play with the wagon. Lucy goes on quite the adventure to and from the market. This book has very charming illustrations and is wonderfully written.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy wants to play with her new red wagon, but her mother sends her to the market.

This is a gentle story about doing chores when one would rather be playing and using one’s imagination.

Disclosure: Dolly Parton was kind enough to send our family this book through her Imagination Library Foundation.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renata has a new red wagon, so her mother suggests she use it to go to the market for her. Although Renata just wants to play, she obeys her mother but has imaginative adventures there and back. Fun illustrations and cute ending.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Time

Theme: The Color Red

Ages: Virtual

Lucy has a new wagon and wants to play with it. Her mother wants her to use it to go to the market and so Lucy does.

It's a very simple story, a line of text for every other page, but perfect for storytime

[Bec Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this book!
Perfect for 3+, sparks imagination, risk taking, friendship, helpfulness.
It helps that I have a red wagon in my library that I take the kids for a ride in after we read!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about how much more interesting a chore can be if one has imagination!

First Line" Lucy had a brand-new little red wagon."

[Readasaurus Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of my kids love this book! It's a cute adventure story

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked her imagination

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet story about play and imagination!

[Haaley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book about imagination. I loved the illustrations. They told a completely different story than the words.

[Alyssa Haverfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! I used to love my red wagon. You really can make it do anything.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Storytime on March 3, 2021
Theme: Foxes

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations were good but text was very confusing to my 3.5yo son

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So imaginative and delightful!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Lucy's mother asks her to go to the market with her red wagon, it sounds like a chore to Lucy. But with her imagination, she turns a chore into an adventure. Fun pictures and cute story.

[S46354595 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fox!