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195th out of 259 books
—
152 voters
Christina Katerina and the Box
A huge cardboard box becomes a castle, a clubhouse, a racing car and more for Christina and her friend Fats. In it they swear undying friendship, wage furious battles-and drive Christina's mother crazy. You won't believe how much fun a cardboard box can be! A gleeful little story of imaginative play.enlivened by the delightful illustrations. -iSchool Library Journal/i The...more
Paperback, 0 pages
Published
October 1st 1993
by Cliffs Notes
(first published 1971)
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230)
Oct 29, 2008
Meaghan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
EVERYONE
Shelves:
picturebooks
I loved this book when I was little and finally found it and read it here in Milwaukee at the public library. I am sure I hadn't read it in about 25 years. Christina Katerina's creative nature is inspiring, and from from 1971 no less! Here is a Caddie Woodlawn or Anne Shirley or Pippi Longstocking for the picture book set. (Or for me.) The personable, affecting illustrations bring the characters to life (of course Christina's friend's name is luckily named "Fats"), and Christina's lackadaisical...more
This was my all time, number one, absolute favorite book when I was a child. It's one of those things that has survived my many moves, and not on accident.
The illustrations are simple but absolutely beautiful and perfectly fitting with the theme of imagination. They're almost deceptively simple and I adored looking at them, trying to figure out how to imitate whatever was depicted.
Christina Katerina's imaginative play always inspired me to create my own fantastical tea party or castle or race t...more
The illustrations are simple but absolutely beautiful and perfectly fitting with the theme of imagination. They're almost deceptively simple and I adored looking at them, trying to figure out how to imitate whatever was depicted.
Christina Katerina's imaginative play always inspired me to create my own fantastical tea party or castle or race t...more
Jun 05, 2009
Leslie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-lit,
favorites
The info up top reads that this is from '98 but I had a much loved copy as a child that was used when I found it in the 70's. This was one of the staple reads of my early childhood that I never outgrew. I'm so delighted to have rediscovered it and just ordered a copy for my son at Barnes and Noble.com. I can hardly wait for it to arrive. The illustrations were the kind you dream over and never forget. I'm 39 and still remember the pictures, especially the chubby neighbor kid, named "Fats", eati...more
Jan 02, 2011
Amanda Nuchols
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone with children
Recommended to Amanda by:
My mother
This book was one of my absolute favorite books when I was a little girl in elementary school. The story is about a little girl whose family gets a new refrigerator and the box is given to Christina Katerina to play with. The creative progression of everything the box is used for in imaginative play is impressive and so much fun until the eventual demise of the box into the dust it came from. More children should read this book and hopefully be inspired, like I was, to come up with amazingly fun...more
Christina Katerina has a big cardboard box to play with. She and her friend, Fats, use their imaginations to come up with all sorts of ways to play with it.
Potential Audience: Grades 1-4
Genre: Picture book, fiction
Curricular Use: Read-aloud, independent reading
Literary Elements: Dialogue, repetition
Social Issues: Imagination, make-believe, childhood, play, friendship (ups and downs)
Image: Black, white, and (cardboard) brown illustrations that support the text well and make this book even bette...more
Potential Audience: Grades 1-4
Genre: Picture book, fiction
Curricular Use: Read-aloud, independent reading
Literary Elements: Dialogue, repetition
Social Issues: Imagination, make-believe, childhood, play, friendship (ups and downs)
Image: Black, white, and (cardboard) brown illustrations that support the text well and make this book even bette...more
Aug 18, 2009
Michelle Alley
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-books
Christina has just received a large box left over from a refridgertor that was just delivered to their house. Her imagination begins to spin and soon she is riding in race cars and living it up in castles right on her front lawn.
My husband remembers this as one of his favorite books as a child. We added this to our children's library and find that it's one of our favorite books to read. It's fun, not too long, and always seems to give my children lots of ideas for imaginary play and building.
My husband remembers this as one of his favorite books as a child. We added this to our children's library and find that it's one of our favorite books to read. It's fun, not too long, and always seems to give my children lots of ideas for imaginary play and building.
This was my absolute favorite book when I was little. I had forgotten the particulars, like who the author was and what the title of the book was, and I described it to my best friend.
She researched the book and bought it for me, without my knowledge. I haven't read it in 25-30 years and when she handed it to me it was as if THIS is what a mother should do for her child (BFF is my mother mentor). I cried when I read it again. I shall read it again and again. Always.
She researched the book and bought it for me, without my knowledge. I haven't read it in 25-30 years and when she handed it to me it was as if THIS is what a mother should do for her child (BFF is my mother mentor). I cried when I read it again. I shall read it again and again. Always.
A girl whose imagination lets her turn an old refrigerator box into a castle, a clubhouse, a race car, and finally a ballroom dance floor before she finally allows her mother to haul it off. The illustrations fit the story and are very well-done. Published in 1971, before it was politically incorrect to call the antagonist "Fats," which is what her friend who plays with her is called. He is the one who hastens the demise of the box.
When the delivery truck bring the large box containing the shiny new refrigerator Christina and her mother are both excited, just for very different reasons. The potential that lies in a box is something that all children see and love to explore. Sometimes more than the gift that came in the box. The simple 70's style illustrations make this a unique and just cool read.
This book features the conflict between Christina Katerina and Fats Watson about how to play in the places created from the box (a castle, a clubhouse, a car). Their conflict intensifies until they find themselves the proud possessors of two boxes! Imaginative fun as the box is transformed into various play spaces.
This is one of my favorite books from my childhood. It was a hand me down from my sister , it was definitely more in my wheelhouse. The fun I use to have with boxes. I still have my original copy that's signed by my sister back in early 70s. Simple story and so imaginative at the same time.
Sep 12, 2009
Vicki
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
kids of all ages
One of my favorite kid's books of all times! (Entering it here so I remember it for baby shower gifts in the future.) It's a great way to jump-start a kid's imagination, showing all the fun things you can do with a box.
This book brings back great memories of riding in the car with my little sister who couldn't read yet. She loved for me to read to her. This was one of her favorites so I read it to her many times.
This was my very favorite book when I was a little girl. I still think about it all the time (hopefully it really is as good as I remember...maybe I don't want to know if it isn't).
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This book showed up in my goodreads "recommendations" and I immediately recognized the picture. I used to love this book as a kid. Oh, the fun a kid can have with a cardboard box!
Jan 13, 2010
Kathryn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-picture-books,
very-favorites
Ohmygosh! I LOVED this book as a kid. It is so full of imagination and I, like Christina Katerina, really, REALLY loved to get an old box and make magic happen.
2 likes · like · see review
Jul 11, 2007
Dacia
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
All Parent and Children
Shelves:
youngchildrens
This was my all time absolute favorite book as a young girl. I was worried that since my son was a boy he wouldn't be as interested. After all, they say that girls easily relate to boy heros, but the other way around rarely works. Nevertheless, I kept my copy of the book, and it's been on his bookshelf. He's three now, and on a whim I pulled it out to read as the bedtime story a couple of weeks ago after I'd despaired of reading "Look and Find with Thomas the Train" for the thousanth time. Much...more
Great book about using your imagination and a box. I remember a box my cousin Sam had made into a fort when I was growing up. It was awesome!
This was my favorite book when I was a little girl! Before I could even read, I would make my older brother read it to me!
This book was very influential on my childhood. It made me so excited for boxes. Really the possibilities are endless.
One of my very favorite books! Great imagination, fun illustrations, simply done. Timeless.
Sep 24, 2011
Kendra
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-books,
favorites-from-childhood
A favorite from when I was a kid, and happy to find it again! My boys loved it, too!
One of my favorite childhood books. LOVED the adventures Christina had with her box!
A little girl uses a box to create various things. Very imaginative. Great book.
Oct 30, 2008
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-ve-read-to-my-children
Christina Katerina is the original craftster. She sees endless possibilities in a large box. I loved this book as a child, and the illustrations have a charming 60's flavor to them. The mom is very trim and tidy, and Christina Katerina is a fly-away hippie child. This book perfectly captures Christina's love of hoarding junk and creating her own world from it. Not to mention her "sometimes friend" who alternates between joining in the make-believe and spoiling it. This book is on my list of book...more
My most favorite book EVER as a kid. Ever! This is #1!
One of my favorite childhood books.
My FAVORITE book as a kid!!!
This was one of my favorite books as a child! I just read it to my 5 year old son & he loves it too. He's ready to transform the box that our new dishwasher came in.
I love this book. Christina Katerina's imagination and creativity is inspiring--first the box is a clubhouse, then a castle, then a race car, then a ballroom dance floor (and maybe a few things in between). See also Andrew Henry's Meadow, which was written by the illustrator of CKATHB.
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