“Sitting in My Box”

by Dee Lillegard
Illustrations by Jon Agee

Review by Laura Berenice Piceda

Funny and tender, “Sitting in My Box” is a children’s story which shows how children’s imagination can turn any daily experience into an amazing and incredible adventure. This book by Dee Lillegard tells the story of a young boy who sits inside a little box, and while he reads a book of wild animals he imagines that all of them come to visit him. Throughout the whole story, the author shows the readers the power of a child’s creativity, and the magic that can be found inside every single book.

The story begins when a giraffe knocks on the little box in which the boy is sitting and asks him to enter. Immediately after that, an elephant knocks and does the same. One by one, a big baboon, a lion and a hippopotamus appear; and join him and the rest of the animals inside the box. Then, the boy notices that all of them are standing because there’s no room to sit, but none of the animals wants to leave the box. Suddenly, a flea jumps right in the box. He bites the hippo and that starts a chain of bites that clears out the box, leaving the boy alone again with his own imagination.

Regarding the writing style, the story is really easy to read, due to the fact that sentences are simple and most of them are repeated, making the task of understanding easier for little children. The illustrations made by Jon Angee are catching, colorful and comic-like, and help the audience to follow the plot in a clear way.

“Sitting in my Box” is a funny story which will not only entertain children but also encourage them to use the power of their own imagination. They will surely love this book! It is a must for your library. Highly recommended.