I'm not referring to gender, age or culture. In this context, I'm referring to the ways parents express their love for their kids.
Unfortunately, it's not easy for all parents to do so for one reason or another. Which brings us to The Man Who Loved Boxes.
I really loved this book. Goosebumps love. Stephen Michael King first published it 1995 and I'm a little disheartened that I have just come across it now, especially considering how wonderful it is.
The Man Who Loved Boxes is the story of a man who loves boxes. He loves his son, too, but he has trouble telling him as much. Still, he loves him enough to find a way to let him know, working with what he does have.
The Man Who Loves Boxes is beautifully told. Moreover, I think it's important. There are many children who have parents with this sort of challenge, though it might be expressed in a different way. There are also plenty of kids who recognise that they may be like the man in the story, and those children might find comfort that adults with this sort of outlook have a place in the world.
Of course, I should also mention the illustrations. Since this book was first published, Stephen Michael King has gone on to become quite the household name in Australian children's picture books, and rightly so. His illustrations are colourful and whimsical, and readers will be quite easily lulled into the atmosphere he has created.
Title: The Man Who Loved Boxes
Author: Stephen Michael King
Illustrator: Stephen Michael King
Publisher: Scholastic, $15.99
Publication Date: 1 May 2016
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760157647
For ages: 3 - 7
Type: Picture Book
