Rosie's Walk: A Great Book for Kids and Adults

There are few words in Rosie's Walk The text is simple and merely relates that one day Rosie left her chicken coop and went for a walk. It then procedes to describe exactly where her walk takes her - across, behind, and over obstacles. The text continues until, finally, she returns to her chicken coop. If this is all there was to the book, it wouldn't be appropriate for anyone older than one or two.

The main story, however, is not in the text. It is told in the pictures. As Rosie goes on her walk, she is being stalked by a sly fox. He appears intent on having chicken for dinner. Rosie is oblivious to his presence. Her walk proves uneventful. His is not. As he tries to catch her by the pond, he falls in. As he tries to catch her by the haystack, he....well, I won't tell you all his misfortunes. Lets simply say that at the end of the book Rosie has had a lovely walk and the fox has to go home to lick his wounds.

The pictures are drawn in bright, colorful fashion. Done with pen and ink, they are somewhat reminiscent of a country quilt or a piece of embroidery.

I have read this book with toddlers who appreciated the humor. I have to admit that I also enjoy the humor in this book. The children with whom I've read this book have all been eager to tell me what they saw happening in the pictures. The amount of language elicited by this nearly textless book was astounding.

I have also used this book with teenagers who were studying English as a Second Language. The heavy use of prepositions is very helpful. The limited vocabulary makes it a good text for beginning students. The underlying story creates opportunities for students to talk about the book. I've used the book for further classroom activities in language classes such as having the students write a book about a Spider's Walk or a Fish's Swim. Some students have chosen to make a map with preposition flashcards. This book has elicited a very positive response.

Pat Hutchins, the author of Rosie's Walk, has written other charming children's books besides. Among the most recent are The Doorbell Rang and Goodnight, Owl. I like her sense of humor and can recommend all of her books that I have thus far encountered. My favorite of all her books is Rosie's Walk.