Synopses & Reviews
Nothing ever happens to Ralph. So every day when it’s time to write stories, Ralph thinks really hard. He stares at his paper. He stares at the ceiling. But he has no stories! With the help of his classmates, Ralph realizes that a great story can be about something very little...and that maybe he really does have some stories to tell. Debut author/illustrator Abby Hanlon’s endearing text and charming watercolor and colored pencil illustrations prove that writing can be fun! This story works nicely with Lucy Calkins’ Writer’s Workshop model of teaching.
Review
"Ralph’s teacher says that stories are everywhere. His fellow students have no trouble finding them, telling them, and writing them down. However, Ralph’s paper stays blank. Great storytelling examples surround him. Enticing bits of the other children’s stories appear in speech bubbles around the room, while pieces of paper display their invented spelling. These are everyday occurrences, told and received enthusiastically. "Then Grandma gave me a cup of coffee and said, 'Don’t tell your mother.'" "After that, I decided to hide my Halloween candy in my bed." Ralph’s struggle comes to a climax when he’s asked to tell the whole class his story. He drags himself to the front of the rug. His heart thumps. What happens next restores his self-confidence and introduces him to his own abundance of adventures. The watercolor and colored-pencil pictures are engaging, varied, and beautifully suited to the text. Ralph’s tips and numerous book titles, found at the end of this story, are an inspiration. Pair this book with Tad Hills’s Rocket Writes a Story (Random, 2012) for an excellent introduction to writing. A splendid debut." Susan Weitz, School Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"An engaging mix of gentle behavior modeling and inventive story ideas that may well provide just the push needed to get some budding young writers off and running." Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Abby Hanlon has taught creative writing and first grade. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two children.