One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey
by Henry Cole
Date: 2020
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 48
Format: e-book
Source: library
A wordless book that starts from a tall tree growing in the forest-
to the checkout counter at the grocery store-
one brown bag finds its way into the hands of a young boy on the eve of his first day of school.
And so begins the journey of one brown bag that is used
and re-used
and re-used again.
In a three-generation family, the bag is transporter of objects and keeper of memories. And when Grandfather comes to the end of his life, the family finds a meaningful new way for the battered, but much-loved brown bag to continue its journey in the circle of life.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
Somehow, Henry Cole is able to tell a story without any words at all. This is the story of a paper bag as it travels through the generations of one family, gathering love until it finally comes full circle and returns to its place of origin.
The detailed illustrations are lovely, and the paper bag--set off in brown--is the main character in this unique picture book. It starts out being a vessel for a little boy's lunch, but its uses become more varied as the boy grows up and has a family of his own.
The story is sweet enough (it put me in mind of the opening sequence of the movie Up, though it's not nearly as sad), but the author's note at the end, where he talks about his own well-loved paper bag, is icing on the cake. The whole thing is a wonderful message about using things that still have life left in them; there's no reason to throw out a lot of the things we do.
I'd recommend this book to pretty much everyone. The wordless format means that even young children can watch the story unfold on their own.
Quotable moment:
Meter: n/a
Writing: n/a
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Overall: 4.6 out of 5
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