A jugar con el bastón

PreS-Gr 1—An unexpected gift inspires a young boy to make imaginative use of an ordinary item. Red-haired and rosy-cheeked, Claudio is happily playing in his front yard with his (possibly imaginary) pet, who resembles the Cheshire Cat. When an elderly man passing by drops his walking stick, Claudio picks it up and attempts to hand it back. The man refuses, saying he doesn't need the cane anymore. In fact, he seems to stand a little straighter without it. Although puzzled by the gift, the boy instinctively bangs the cane's tip against the ground three times and straddles it, which is just the trick to unleash its magic. Claudio's new possession transforms into everything from a galloping black horse with a star on its muzzle to a spaceship navigating the stars. This tale, originally published in Italian, is filled with themes of imagination and kindness. The ambiguity of the adventures will allow readers to draw their own conclusions about the cane's enchantment and the existence of Claudio's never mentioned but ever-present pet. The digitized illustrations fail to add any novelty to the story, though. Most of the spreads are enclosed by a gilded, floral frame or set against a striped, pastel background, with text awkwardly arranged to fit around the designs. The inconsistent and at times tawdry layout weakens the impact of the narrative. The text lends itself nicely to storytelling or one-on-one sharing, but the small trim size and disappointing visuals might not be effective for large groups.