  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/01/2016 *Starred Review* Ruby has red building blocks, Benji has blue. Each child is engaged happily in parallel play until Benji decides to take a red block. The large format pages are well-suited for reading to a group. Set on white backgrounds, the images fill the pages and draw readers into the action. The page design has a theatrical quality, as each character enters the space, takes a central position, then shifts to the side as the next character appears. A dramatic two-page spread puts the red block in the center, with each child shouting, “Mine!” The resulting scuffle destroys their towers. Once the blocks are mixed, however, Benji and Ruby realize that their structure might be better if they worked together and used all the blocks. The conflict appears happily resolved . . . until Guy arrives with green blocks. The last line asks, “What will they do now?” A clue may be found by discussing the opening endpapers, which depict a random assortment of red and blue blocks, and the closing endpapers, which feature stacks built with all three colors. The mixed-media artwork has the appearance of block printing, with the children’s varying skin tones highlighted by pastel outlines and accents. Its entertaining approach to problem-solving and large-format illustrations make this book a terrific pick for preschool story time, hopefully followed by a building activity. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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