The Red Book by Barbara Lehman

The cover of this book is very indicative of what lies beneath. There appears to be no title, not even an author's name. There is no background. The only thing we see is a young girl running, to where we are unsure. She is carrying a red book, why we do not know. Much is left to our imaginations. We must fill in the blanks ourselves. Since The Red Book contains no words at all, we must continue to fill in blanks as we go along.

The Red Book's plot is very simple and easy to follow. This makes the book very appropriate for young kids. However, the same fact also makes it appropriate for older students as well. They can put their own spin on what is happening in the pictures. They might imagine an exact location for the island of the boy with the matching red book. They might even come up with a name for the island. They are able to determine why it is that the girl decides to leave her normal life to see the young boy and how much time has elapsed in their relationship. The pictures are simple and step by step. This offers young readers an easy understanding of the book and leaves plenty of room for an open interpretation by more advanced readers. In fact, the ending of the book is not really an ending at all. The reader must decide what happens with the magical red book and its new owner after they close the book.

The Red Book is imaginative and fun for readers of all ages. Like the girl in the story, it allows you to fly away on a balloon, using your imagination to interpret the story and personalize it to suit what you believe is happening and why.