The Secret Box Hardcover – Picture Book, March 21, 2011

I do not agree with the reviewers that stated the story is creepy...we did not find it to be. I thought it was a wonderful story about connection with the past, common dreams of children having a fun, safe, and exciting adventure, and a little mystery found kind of experience. I loved the illustrations, their detail, and coloring. The idea that children are children no matter what year it is...the theme of children through the ages all want the same thing...dreams come true of fun and hope and something better than we can ourselves imagine. How in the world is that creepy? Without any words, it is due to your interpretation to embrace the charm of this sweet book. I want to donate a copy of it to our school library, for I feel this book is a gem.

This is a wordless group that really captured my class of 4 and 5 year olds. They requested the book multiple and kid's could be found "reading" the book on their own during choice time. Went along well with our Creative Curriculum Box Study.

We love all of the Lehman books we have thus far and plan on trying to complete our collection. Imaginative and fun.

I really enjoy Lehman's books.The beautiful images and narrative presentation is lovely.We loved the Rainstorm.However, her stories have a slightly dark feel to them (only slightly, and maybe just my interpretation).This one seems to focus on children living in a group home of some kind escaping to a wonderland of the pier fair.That said, our child has enjoyed the book and will likely find a place for it on her reading list off and on for many years.

Three children at a school find a box, a time capsule in time, left by a student from long ago. Looking through its contents, matching photos and maps, they discover an underground path to a seaside carnival: Seahorse Pier. Children ages 3-6 will have fun following this wordless adventure through time and space, connecting past and present.

If you are unfamiliar with the author's books, check out a few of her others too. I really like the Red Book, though this one seems to be my son's favorite, currently (he's 3).

----------------------------------------------------"The Secret Box"Written & illustrated by Barbara Lehman(Houghton Mifflin, 2011)----------------------------------------------------Another entry in Lehman's sizable catalog of wordless picturebooks... This one is strongly reminiscent of David Wiesner's "Flotsam," telling the tale of several generations of children (growing up in the same orphanage?) who find a mysterious old box packed with pictures and memorabilia from a fantastical, lost-in-time beachside amusement park. It's a fun story, though in my overprotectivoid glory, I feel obliged to point out that the magical passageway that the kids run through to get to Seahorse Pier looks an awful lot like a water culvert, and as a kid I was always told to never go in those, since people often drown inside them. Otherwise, great book! (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

This is such a fun book to use for language development.

Es el segundo libro que leo de la autora (después del libro rojo), me ha parecido muy interesante, creo que la idea es genial. Si el dibujo fuese un poco menos simple sería uno de mis favoritos. El dibujo está pensad para niños muy pequeños, creo yo, digamos 3-6 años. Sin embargo la historia es más bien para 6-8 años.