The Red Book

The Red Book

The Red Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Red Book

Beck & Matt Stanton

ABC Books, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780733334856

How can a book with a purple cover and yellow binding be called The Red Book?  Easy, when it comes from the talented duo of Beck and Matt Stanton who have already played with our children’s minds in Did You Take the B from My _ook? and This is a Ball.

Using their characteristic statement/comment format and working on the premise that Barney the lobster is red and that he only ever wears red clothes, we are persuaded to believe that Fergus the Frog is red too.  And because roses are red then Rose the penguin must also be red. Even with the usual straight line of childhood logic, this is going to provoke argument and laughter from little ones who judge with their eyes rather than thought processes and who will be wanting to prove they know their colours no matter what the adult says.

But as with the other two, even though this is written to be shared with the very young reader, it has a wider perspective.  While there is a comprehensive teaching guide available, it would be a perfect introduction to syllogism which are conclusions based on a major premise such as the familiar “All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; Therefore Socrates is mortal.” However sometimes these become fallacies such as “All roses are red; the penguin is called Rose; therefore Rose the penguin is red” and teasing out the truth can be challenging!

Whether you use this book to entertain your little one at bedtime or as a teaching text for something grander, nevertheless the listeners will have great fun with it – and that’s what reading is all about.

 

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