Pistes d'exploration

Record yourself telling the story aloud.

Choose a page and identify what the girl is feeling. Discuss or write what happens next.

Brainstorm for expressions and situations involving lines: waiting in line, lining up, lined paper, clotheslines, stripes, line of fire, chorus line, tree line, skyline, road lines, writing lines, learn your lines, timeline, telephone line . . .

Tell your own story, using a length of string to illustrate it as you go. Alternatively, pass the string from one person to the next, adding to a continuous story.

Tell your own story, using a length of string to illustrate it as you go. Alternatively, pass the string from one person to the next, adding to a continuous story.

Choose a page and chart the vocabulary you could use to describe the line: straight, crooked, swirly, zigzag, smooth, etc. 

Imagine a story based on a line and describe the situation that might ensue.

Record yourself telling the story aloud.

The Dot, The Pencil, The Long, Long Line

Mots-clés

Picture book , creativity , drawing , illustrations (pencil) , line (drawing) , possibilities , visual art , wordless book

Commentaire descriptif

A little girl stumbles onto a plain black line, and endless opportunities for adventure and mischief ensue. With a wiggle and a shake, the line becomes a slide, a giant bubble or a jungle vine for swinging with monkeys. And while the line can become a scary monster, it can also quickly morph into a comforting teddy bear. The question is, is there something, or someone, at the other end making it all happen? Children will have to wait until the last page to find out. Simple, uncluttered pencil illustrations on textured white paper imbue the narrative with a sense of movement and fluidity, prompting the imagination of readers despite little or no use of colour. One long pencil sketch becomes the catalyst for exploration and discovery. This wordless picture book is a tribute to the infinite possibilities of art and creative play. Readers will surely be tempted to create their own ‘story lines.’