The Van

by: Holly Keller

Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Reviewed by Kim Bagato

The Van by Holly Keller is a book most children would scoop right off the shelf, eager to meet the colorful critters whose smiles gleam on the cover.

This is a Level One book for Green Light Readers, written for children ages 4-6 who are getting ready to read. The text is simple, predictive and rhymes, despite the plot holes.

Colorful illustrations spark young imaginations as the characters load their toys into the van for an adventure. There is an illustration showing how one of the friends solved the problem, but on the next page the resolution was not part of the picture.

I felt the ambivalent ending was a letdown. It’s important that children use their creativity to anticipate what comes next, but this story without an end seemed a little like taking candy from a baby. With the turn of every page I imagined the wondrous destination only to discover that part of the story was left up to me and the pictures were misleading.

The activity pages and tips for parents and teachers at the end of the book inspired creative thinking and gave reason for the importance of mastering this book for beginning readers.

Armchair Interviews says: Heed this reviewer’s comments.