PPBF: Do Not Open

Author/Illustrator: Brinton Turkle
Publisher: Penguin, 1981
Age: 4-8
Themes: cats, seashore, magic
Opening: Miss Moody lived at land’s end with Captain Kidd. Captain Kidd wasn’t the famous pirate; he was a cat.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Following a storm Miss Moody and her cat find an intriguing bottle washed up on the beach. Should they ignore its “Do not open” warning?

I like this book because: Drawn to the illustrations on a another one of Jama Kim Rattigan’s facebook posts, I placed several of Brinton Turkle’s books on hold, and this is one I had enjoyed before with my children. It’s a His use of dramatic pencil lines and efficient yet bold compositions is food for my soul! (I would have preferred not to have the text boxes set in the middle of these lovely images though!) It’s a dramatic little story too!

Resources/Activities: Brinton Turkle’s started making picture books before I was born, and one title, Thy Friend, Obadiah, won a Caldecott Honor Medal in 1970. Look for a pile of his books, ones he wrote and ones he illustrated for others, and enjoy!

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE