The Room of Wonders
Kindergarten-Grade 4 Pius Pelosi, a young pack rat, has a spot set aside to house his collection of miscellaneous items. Full of curiosities, including twigs, feathers, sea glass, shells, and buttons, the room draws visitors from far and wide eager to learn about the objects and how the rodent discovered them. One item a very plain-looking small gray pebble is given particular prominence. Although it is special to him because it is the first thing he ever collected, his guests consider it too ordinary to display. Ultimately, he bows to their pressure, removing it and tossing it into the river. Saddened by its absence, Pius gives away the remaining articles and vows to stop searching for new ones. On his first venture out, however, he spies a small gray pebble and his interest in collecting is once again sparked. Ruzzier's gently told story is perfectly pitched for the picture-book crowd. The lesson is subtle but will lead to much discussion. The softly shaded illustrations, done in soothing pastel colors, show a medieval-looking village and the surrounding countryside. Pius, with his sweetly comical expressions, reflects the quiet tone of the text. In the tradition of Leo Lionni's Frederick and William Steig's Sylvester, Pius is a character worth meeting.Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.