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Black And White
Winner of the 1991 Caldecott Medal
Four stories are told simultaneously, with each double-page spread divided into quadrants. The stories do not necessarily take place at the same moment in time, but are they really one story?
Four stories are told simultaneously, with each double-page spread divided into quadrants. The stories do not necessarily take place at the same moment in time, but are they really one story?
32 pages, Library Binding
First published April 30, 1990
22 people are currently reading
2586 people want to read
About the author
David Macaulay
113 books415 followersDavid Macaulay, born in 1946, was eleven when his parents moved from England to Bloomfield, New Jersey. He found himself having to adjust from an idyllic English childhood to life in a fast paced American city. During this time he began to draw seriously, and after graduating from high school he enrolled in the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). After spending his fifth year at RISD in Rome on the European Honors Program, he received a bachelor’s degree in architecture and vowed never to practice. After working as an interior designer, a junior high school teacher, and a teacher at RISD, Macaulay began to experiment with creating books. He published his first book, Cathedral, in 1973. Following in this tradition, Macaulay created other books—including City, Castle, Pyramid, Mill, Underground, Unbuilding, and Mosque—that have provided the explanations of the how and the why in a way that is both accessible and entertaining. From the pyramids of Egypt to the skyscrapers of New York City, the human race’s great architectural and engineering accomplishments have been demystified through Macaulay's elaborate show-and-tells. Five of these titles have been made into popular PBS television programs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 762 reviews
February 9, 2019
This is an interesting puzzle. There are 4 stories going on for each page. At the beginning, we are told that they might seem to be unrelated, but that we should pay attention to how they may be related. As an adult it’s not that difficult to see how they can go together, but the kids asked every page how they would fit together and they had to discuss what was going on. It took some time to read through. They had a lot of fun reading this.
There are cows, there is a train and there are crazy parents. I thought it was enjoyable to read as well. I didn’t think a whole lot of the art, but this is all about the story and how it all works together. It’s getting close to being a graphic novel. There are words for each picture, but no bubbles over people’s heads.
Both children gave this 5 stars. They want more like this.
There are cows, there is a train and there are crazy parents. I thought it was enjoyable to read as well. I didn’t think a whole lot of the art, but this is all about the story and how it all works together. It’s getting close to being a graphic novel. There are words for each picture, but no bubbles over people’s heads.
Both children gave this 5 stars. They want more like this.
September 30, 2024
While the Caldecott Medal winning illustrations are certainly imaginative and fun (although not what I would in any way consider personal favouites), I still and strongly tend to find David Macaulay's Black and White quite simply and utterly, massively confusing (I downloaded this on my Kindle and the ebook format just does work not at all well here, or at least, that has remained my main and general impression). Aside from the fact that the entire concept of the divergent story threads makes much more sense in a traditional picture book format (where one can at least flip back and forth at will and with ease), most of the printed text in the Kindle version of Black and White is so MINUTE, is so absolutely TINY, that I basically ended up having to guess at a large part of the plot(s) and themes (and this even when zooming in on the presented text AND using my reading glasses). The one star rating is thus mostly due to the user-unfriendly ebook format, and while I do feel a trifle guilty at this, I cannot and will not give a higher rating at present (as I do not even really know whether I would have in fact enjoyed Black and White as a traditional paper entity due to the issues I have had simply being able to read, let alone understand the narrative, or rather, the supremely tiny and visually impossible font size of the printed text). The storylines and perhaps even the fact that they are separate and divergent (and as other reviewers have pointed out, kind of strange) might well have tickled my fancy, but since I have had so much trouble even reading and thus understanding the Kindle edition, there is really NO WAY for me to either know this for a fact and by extension, consider writing about it. However, I can and will with personal conviction unilaterally state that if you are actually considering reading Black and White, to NOT even consider bothering with the Kindle edition (and that is especially the case if you have poor vision, or any kind of issues with visual tracking and/or contrast). Really a massive and terrible disappointment, and one that makes me increasingly leery of considering downloading picture ebooks, as this is not the first annoying, hard-on-my eyes Kindle format I have encountered, but definitely the worst and the most user-unfriendly I have encountered to date.
April 20, 2013
I'm surprised by the number of low ratings for this book. I think that may be because it's not a traditional book. It's quite a complicated little book with four (or more) stories linked (perhaps) in some way other than sequential (perhaps).
Commuters are waiting for a train. A boy is waiting for his parents. Another boy is waiting for his train ride to end. The train is waiting for some cows to get off the tracks so it can be on its way.
The problem for most readers is, I think, that each part of the story does not proceed in an expected way. Instead it is like seeing a number of images and being given the task of tying them all together so that there is an understandable conclusion.
The fun in this book is in trying to find ways to tie all the stories together. I think most children can do it. I think most adults can't until they realize the book does not tell its stories in a traditional way.
Again, it's like giving your child a handful of pictures and asking the child to find ways the pictures are alike.
Commuters are waiting for a train. A boy is waiting for his parents. Another boy is waiting for his train ride to end. The train is waiting for some cows to get off the tracks so it can be on its way.
The problem for most readers is, I think, that each part of the story does not proceed in an expected way. Instead it is like seeing a number of images and being given the task of tying them all together so that there is an understandable conclusion.
The fun in this book is in trying to find ways to tie all the stories together. I think most children can do it. I think most adults can't until they realize the book does not tell its stories in a traditional way.
Again, it's like giving your child a handful of pictures and asking the child to find ways the pictures are alike.
January 16, 2012
Caldecott Winner 1991 - Some books are just beyond me. Brilliant concept but I need a tutorial.
April 15, 2010
This is an incredibly intricate and complicated story about four different things-- a train, a boy, his parents, and cows. But there is an overarching story that connects them altogether in a very subtle way that really shows what picture books are capable of doing.
Summary:
Impatient commuter wait for a train. A boy attempts to communicate with his parents. Commuters wait for a delayed train. And holstein cows, notoriously hard to see in the field, block a train.
Characters:
Boy: An imaginative boy who has trouble communicating with his parents.
Parents: Odd, prone to weird sayings and ignoring their kid.
Cows: Hard to see in the field, hiding a deeper truth (or character, as it were).
Commuters: Waiting for a delayed train, they become increasingly frustrated.
Key issues:
Story arcs, interaction of image and words, communication.
Other important ideas: This is an excellent way to introduce themes, as a theme is what makes this story have one larger plot.
Summary:
Impatient commuter wait for a train. A boy attempts to communicate with his parents. Commuters wait for a delayed train. And holstein cows, notoriously hard to see in the field, block a train.
Characters:
Boy: An imaginative boy who has trouble communicating with his parents.
Parents: Odd, prone to weird sayings and ignoring their kid.
Cows: Hard to see in the field, hiding a deeper truth (or character, as it were).
Commuters: Waiting for a delayed train, they become increasingly frustrated.
Key issues:
Story arcs, interaction of image and words, communication.
Other important ideas: This is an excellent way to introduce themes, as a theme is what makes this story have one larger plot.
November 24, 2015
At first we were confused as to how to read this book. The challenge came when we initially thought the story was made up of four separate stories on one page. We began by starting with the top left 'story' as his follows the typical structure of a book that we are familiar with. Once we started reading, we began to see links between the pictures on a page and had to stop reading many times in order to make these links explicit and to eventually reach an understanding of the entire story as a whole. This was made clearer to us on the final page, as this picture confirmed our predictions. This book did give me a sense of achievement when I understood what was occurring and how it could/should be read. I believe that it is a book that on every read after your first (which is definitely needed as there is so much content to take in, in one sitting) there will always be a new element that is identified from that read that contributes to the story and helps you make further sense of what is actually occurring.
January 29, 2013
David Macauly, with his 1990 Caldecott Medal-winning book 'Black and White', no doubt turned the picture book industry on its ear when it came to light nearly a quarter century ago. At first glance, this clever and off-beat book seems to house four different stories- each moved forward across two adjacent, side-by-side pages divided into quadrants. The pictures that accompany each of these unfolding stories couldn't be more different- one is presented as a circular swirl of earth-tone colors on a grayish-green background; one is alive with bright primary colors; another uses various tints of black, white, and brown; and the fourth is a combination of black, white, and pink that is periodically punctuated by splashes of text-driven colors.
It is with subsequent returns to the pages of this book that your perseverence and your curiosity will be graciously rewarded. Something will likely strike you as odd or unsettling- hours or even days after you first read it. Sophisticated readers from Grades 7 through 12 will undoubtedly marvel at how the four parallel stories in Macauley's book begin to intersect and intertwine with one another in sometimes tangential but consistently unique ways. The true beauty of the words and the pictures is that there is room for much interpretation. I would suspect that there are still unexplored ways that these stories might be linked together in the mind of the careful observer of details- details that take on different significance depending on one's point of view. Therefore, the adult reader that loves a tantalizing mystery or a seemingly unsolvable puzzle would no doubt delight in this book as well.
Truly, then, 'Black and White' is the myriad shades of gray that paint the continuum between these two most opposite of colors chosen by the author and illustrator for his title. Adolescents will be drawn to this book's openness to interpretation, its complexity, and its coy and playful way of 'messing' with the mind of the reader in a forgiveable way. Read it as four distinct stories, or try to tie it into one cohesive whole. In so doing, chances are you will begin to see that it's not quite as simple as all that. These thirty-two pages just might hold hundreds of tales, just waiting to be born in your- the reader's- mind.
It is with subsequent returns to the pages of this book that your perseverence and your curiosity will be graciously rewarded. Something will likely strike you as odd or unsettling- hours or even days after you first read it. Sophisticated readers from Grades 7 through 12 will undoubtedly marvel at how the four parallel stories in Macauley's book begin to intersect and intertwine with one another in sometimes tangential but consistently unique ways. The true beauty of the words and the pictures is that there is room for much interpretation. I would suspect that there are still unexplored ways that these stories might be linked together in the mind of the careful observer of details- details that take on different significance depending on one's point of view. Therefore, the adult reader that loves a tantalizing mystery or a seemingly unsolvable puzzle would no doubt delight in this book as well.
Truly, then, 'Black and White' is the myriad shades of gray that paint the continuum between these two most opposite of colors chosen by the author and illustrator for his title. Adolescents will be drawn to this book's openness to interpretation, its complexity, and its coy and playful way of 'messing' with the mind of the reader in a forgiveable way. Read it as four distinct stories, or try to tie it into one cohesive whole. In so doing, chances are you will begin to see that it's not quite as simple as all that. These thirty-two pages just might hold hundreds of tales, just waiting to be born in your- the reader's- mind.
September 1, 2011
“Black and White” by David Macaulay was something out of the ordinary. It wasn’t anything I expected it to be. I was curious about the title because “Black and White” could mean anything and could be about anything. I was interested to see that it started at four different stories going on. Each story has a different style of visuals. The pictures look completely different and the fonts changed as well. The individual stories made me smile and laugh a lot because I thought each of them were hilarious. The actions of the characters and the pictures portrayed something that wasn’t “normal”. The whole concept of it kind of made me laugh too because I didn’t understand it. I still scratch my head at the whole concept of the book but as I looked back, there is a connection between all the four stories. Honestly, I can’t figure it out but I know there is a twist. All I have that it’s connected with the newspaper somehow, because each story involved having the newspaper. Also, the color of a newspaper is black and white.
It was also frustrating reading a book like this because it is like a puzzle that needs to be solved. I am so used to finding the main idea of the story and to find out the purpose of the author’s thinking but I couldn’t figure it out. The book is a challenged within it self and makes you think. For students I can see how they will be challenged by this book but also have some entertainment with it. I imagine that some students will understand the concept of it and then some will be dumbfounded like me. It makes me think as a teacher, how can I use the uncertainty about this book to my advantage? I think it can create a great creative thinking activity with the students, and show them that picture books can be different and challenging but that there is no right way on how a student views a text.
It was also frustrating reading a book like this because it is like a puzzle that needs to be solved. I am so used to finding the main idea of the story and to find out the purpose of the author’s thinking but I couldn’t figure it out. The book is a challenged within it self and makes you think. For students I can see how they will be challenged by this book but also have some entertainment with it. I imagine that some students will understand the concept of it and then some will be dumbfounded like me. It makes me think as a teacher, how can I use the uncertainty about this book to my advantage? I think it can create a great creative thinking activity with the students, and show them that picture books can be different and challenging but that there is no right way on how a student views a text.
October 5, 2017
I think even if I read this book 25 times, I’d still be lost. Macaulay begins with four different stories, told in different styles, with different fonts, and illustrated using different techniques. As the strangeness of events in each story grows, they begin to merge, eventually becoming one story that still doesn’t quite make sense. I think what he is able to accomplish is really neat, and there is so much discussion it could generate for older kids - even for teens - but I don’t know if I have the patience to puzzle it all out!
August 2, 2015
This illustrated children's book has thrown me for a loop. I am still thinking about it hours after reading it, and am amazed at its brilliance. It's a 4 part story with stories within the story that parallel and interweave in ways that make your mind bend. Sound interesting? It is the only book I've ever seen like it, but I wish I could find more!
April 2, 2010
Can't really figure out this book. Four separate stories which can be one story? I can get three of the stories to go together but for the life of me, I can't figure out how the one in the bottom left meshes in. Interesting read.
December 16, 2019
Four separate stories - or are they? - unfold on the pages of author/illustrator David Macaulay's Caldecott Medal-winning picture-book, Black and White. Each tale - a boy traveling cross-country on the train, looking forward to being reunited with his parents; a girl who usually finds her parents predictable, until they come home one day clothed in newspapers, singing songs; a group of commuters waiting for a delayed train; a herd of Holstein cows on the loose, either being stolen by some robbers, or not - takes up one quarter of every two-page spread. Whether read in isolation from one another, or all together (I tried both approaches, myself), it soon becomes clear that they are interrelated in complex ways, and that matters are not, whatever the title might say, black and white...
Although I notice that online reviews of this one are fairly divided, I myself found Black and White to be an immensely engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking picture-book. It definitely requires a little more work, on the part of the reader, and isn't the sort of book that you can rush through, but the more time you spend with it, the more you are rewarded. The stories here are amusing, both in their own right - I particularly enjoyed the girl's ruminations on her parents - and in conjunction with one another, and they invite the reader to get involved in the storytelling itself, in piecing together the ways that each discrete strand is part of the whole. The artwork, as one would expect from a Caldecott Medal-winning title, is amazing, with each of the four tales being illustrated in a different style. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books with a more complex narrative, as well as to David Macaulay fans.
Although I notice that online reviews of this one are fairly divided, I myself found Black and White to be an immensely engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking picture-book. It definitely requires a little more work, on the part of the reader, and isn't the sort of book that you can rush through, but the more time you spend with it, the more you are rewarded. The stories here are amusing, both in their own right - I particularly enjoyed the girl's ruminations on her parents - and in conjunction with one another, and they invite the reader to get involved in the storytelling itself, in piecing together the ways that each discrete strand is part of the whole. The artwork, as one would expect from a Caldecott Medal-winning title, is amazing, with each of the four tales being illustrated in a different style. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books with a more complex narrative, as well as to David Macaulay fans.
September 8, 2011
Black and White by David Macaulay is definitely interesting. I read it with my younger sister and we both were a little confused as we read it aloud. There are four mini stories on each page that later you find connect with one another. It's a good concept, but I don't think it was well done. Having some of the pictures connect with each other helps a little but other than that, I was confused for half the story. Maybe I was so confused because I expected the book to be about something that is black and white, but the story had nothing to do with its title, only that a newspaper is black and white.
Within the book, there are three different style of illustrations. two of the styles are almost cartoon-like, another one is more dull and everything is an orange color, the last uses dark colors and looks like it is painted but then later in the story it turns into just bold words.
Overall, the story was just a mess and it was so random. I think the story was a good idea in theory but when it was put together it just failed.
Within the book, there are three different style of illustrations. two of the styles are almost cartoon-like, another one is more dull and everything is an orange color, the last uses dark colors and looks like it is painted but then later in the story it turns into just bold words.
Overall, the story was just a mess and it was so random. I think the story was a good idea in theory but when it was put together it just failed.
July 12, 2016
I also found this to be an unusual, but unique book, with the 4 intertwining stories. Each story also had its own distinct style of illustration, which may be why it was awarded a Caldecott. I did find that the four stories were a bit confusing, trying to figure out how each panel of each story fits into the whole.
June 1, 2015
'Black and White' is definitely a tough one!
This book contains four stories which happen simultaneously from page to page. On the face of it, they do not seem to be related in any way, nevertheless close reading allow to see some connection between them.
I must admit that as far as I believe this idea to be brilliant, it is actually pretty difficult to get the grasp of this book after reading it only once. For me this is both advantage and disadvantage of 'Black and White'.
On the one hand, this book is no ordinary, the reader needs to spend a considerable amount of time to decipher every possible meaning, look for interrelated words, motifs, elements of illustrations etc. This makes the reading extremely engaging and forces to think intensely - not every picture book deserves such a description.
On the other hand, what is an advantage of this book might be also perceived as a disadvantage. As a rule, picture books are supposed to entertain, deliver a straightforward message, shape personalities especially of young readers. However, this is definitely not a book that a parent would read to his child before sleep. For me, 'Black and White' is directed more to adult readers, who derive pleasure from analyzing literature.
Nevertheless, I recommend it to anyone who wants to discover something new about picture books.
This book contains four stories which happen simultaneously from page to page. On the face of it, they do not seem to be related in any way, nevertheless close reading allow to see some connection between them.
I must admit that as far as I believe this idea to be brilliant, it is actually pretty difficult to get the grasp of this book after reading it only once. For me this is both advantage and disadvantage of 'Black and White'.
On the one hand, this book is no ordinary, the reader needs to spend a considerable amount of time to decipher every possible meaning, look for interrelated words, motifs, elements of illustrations etc. This makes the reading extremely engaging and forces to think intensely - not every picture book deserves such a description.
On the other hand, what is an advantage of this book might be also perceived as a disadvantage. As a rule, picture books are supposed to entertain, deliver a straightforward message, shape personalities especially of young readers. However, this is definitely not a book that a parent would read to his child before sleep. For me, 'Black and White' is directed more to adult readers, who derive pleasure from analyzing literature.
Nevertheless, I recommend it to anyone who wants to discover something new about picture books.
April 18, 2016
This book was amazing. I was reluctant to read it because it seemed a little strange and I like more traditional picture books. After reading this, I read it two more times, and each time I made more connections between the different stories inside the book and differences as well. There were four mini stories inside this book all happening at once and all have connections but it really is about what you see and what you think. It would be so great to read in a upper elementary classroom to see what they think and get from the book. I would love to hear them analyze and make the connections, it would be great to start a lesson with this book when talking about inferring. This was really a WOW book for me because it blew me away that this author could write 4 stories that were all different but all went together. They really made you think and made me read it more than once, that makes it a wow book.
July 18, 2016
This is a bizarre story, but the illustrations are fascinating. Not sure if I completely understand it, let alone our girls...
October 2011 update: Our youngest borrowed this book from her elementary school library and we read it again together. It was an interesting tale, but I still don't know if I like it.
This book was selected as one of the books for the July 2016- Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
October 2011 update: Our youngest borrowed this book from her elementary school library and we read it again together. It was an interesting tale, but I still don't know if I like it.
This book was selected as one of the books for the July 2016- Quarterly Caldecott discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
February 9, 2014
Caldecott Medal (1991)
An unusual story told in 4 divided panels involving cows, trains, newspaper hats, squirrels and mischief. Fun in an off beat sort of way.
An unusual story told in 4 divided panels involving cows, trains, newspaper hats, squirrels and mischief. Fun in an off beat sort of way.
March 12, 2016
3.5 out of 5
January 28, 2022
1991 Caldecott winner. Very imaginative. Each turn of the big pages lets you see 4 panels (2 left, 2 right). It appears as you turn the pages the the top left panel could be read as its own story. Similarly each of the four panels can be read in isolation by turning the page. But you discover quickly that these 4 stories are actually intertwined and need to be read at the same time.
While this is not a good little-kid book, the 6-10 age should be able to figure this out. It makes you think! I really liked it!
4+* pictures (has some surrealism - nice)
5* story with the panel mix
Net: 5*
I saw a reviewer not like this book on their kindle. NO GRAPHIC book looks good on a kindle.
Caldecott books should not even be released for kindle - a total waste of what the book was designed to be - a graphic award winner.
Most kids books shouldn't be on kindle. I can't imagine reading Dr. Seuss on a kindle.
While this is not a good little-kid book, the 6-10 age should be able to figure this out. It makes you think! I really liked it!
4+* pictures (has some surrealism - nice)
5* story with the panel mix
Net: 5*
I saw a reviewer not like this book on their kindle. NO GRAPHIC book looks good on a kindle.
Caldecott books should not even be released for kindle - a total waste of what the book was designed to be - a graphic award winner.
Most kids books shouldn't be on kindle. I can't imagine reading Dr. Seuss on a kindle.
October 4, 2009
Summary-
Black and White is a picture book meant for older readers from 5th grade and up. There is a disclaimer in the beginning of the story that says, “Careful inspection of both words and pictures is recommended.” Black and White contains 4 different stories that all progress simultaneously. They connect in various ways including newspapers, cows, trains, and the colors black and white. Things happen in the stories that somehow link them together. “Seeing Things,” is the first story about a boy riding the train alone to visit his parents. “Problem Parents,” is a story about parents who do something crazy and unexpected. “A Waiting Game” is another story about adults waiting for the train at the train station. “Udder Chaos,” is the last story about some cows who escaped their field. This book can be puzzling, and possibly irritating for the reader who tries to solve the mystery of how the stories unite. They don’t fit together perfectly. It is a fun story for creative children and adults who can use their imaginations to find clues and connect the dots.
Response-
This story was confusing at first, then enjoyable. There is a lot to take in on each page. Each page is divided so the four stories are displayed at the same time. In the beginning I tried to find the flow of the story and to understand how they were connected. I expected them all to come together at the end. They didn’t. Once I understood that the connections were up to me I read it with a different eye. I read each story independently and then all together again. I read this book to my 6-year-old niece, who had a totally different view than I did. I still have a few questions about the story, but I suppose that that is the reason people enjoy this book. It isn’t laid out for you in a simple story. There isn’t closure in the ending. You have to figure things out to make sense of the chaos.
The author and illustrator did a wonderful job separating the four stories. Even though they all share pages, they each have a different font, color scheme, illustration style, and writing style. This helps the reader separate them a little better.
This book would be a good book to read to a small group to work on inferring, making connections, or predicting. It is a motivating book to many types of learners because of it’s colorful drawings and fun stories.
Black and White is a picture book meant for older readers from 5th grade and up. There is a disclaimer in the beginning of the story that says, “Careful inspection of both words and pictures is recommended.” Black and White contains 4 different stories that all progress simultaneously. They connect in various ways including newspapers, cows, trains, and the colors black and white. Things happen in the stories that somehow link them together. “Seeing Things,” is the first story about a boy riding the train alone to visit his parents. “Problem Parents,” is a story about parents who do something crazy and unexpected. “A Waiting Game” is another story about adults waiting for the train at the train station. “Udder Chaos,” is the last story about some cows who escaped their field. This book can be puzzling, and possibly irritating for the reader who tries to solve the mystery of how the stories unite. They don’t fit together perfectly. It is a fun story for creative children and adults who can use their imaginations to find clues and connect the dots.
Response-
This story was confusing at first, then enjoyable. There is a lot to take in on each page. Each page is divided so the four stories are displayed at the same time. In the beginning I tried to find the flow of the story and to understand how they were connected. I expected them all to come together at the end. They didn’t. Once I understood that the connections were up to me I read it with a different eye. I read each story independently and then all together again. I read this book to my 6-year-old niece, who had a totally different view than I did. I still have a few questions about the story, but I suppose that that is the reason people enjoy this book. It isn’t laid out for you in a simple story. There isn’t closure in the ending. You have to figure things out to make sense of the chaos.
The author and illustrator did a wonderful job separating the four stories. Even though they all share pages, they each have a different font, color scheme, illustration style, and writing style. This helps the reader separate them a little better.
This book would be a good book to read to a small group to work on inferring, making connections, or predicting. It is a motivating book to many types of learners because of it’s colorful drawings and fun stories.
February 12, 2011
Postmodernism style of illustration.
Seriously, this book was so hard to explain to my small group that I have cheated completely, and am including a review by Publisher's Weekly. But I think this is an excellent, excellent book to give to the more advanced readers in 3rd grade and 4th. This can be used into high school.
I think what is going on in this book is so given to interpretation. Once I got used to it, I really delighted in seeing the connections between the four stories as well as the unfolding story lines: the train commuters creating hats, etc, decorating with newspapers really struck home. I used to commute by train into the city every day, looking at the paper, etc. and the whole traveling could be completely shot by the smallest mishap.
But if someone hasn't had that experience or traveled by train, they would need information before the book is read or looked at, to understand what is going on, and why, importantly, the boy's parents are so giddy with the papers etc.
From Publishers Weekly
At first glance, this is a collection of four unrelated stories, each occupying a quarter of every two-page spread, and each a slight enough tale to seem barely worth a book--a boy on a train, parents in a funny mood, a convict's escape and a late commuter train. The magic of Black and White comes not from each story, however, but from the mysterious interactions between them that creates a fifth story. Several motifs linking the tales are immediately apparent, such as trains--real and toy--and newspapers. A second or third reading reveals suggestions of the title theme: Holstein cows, prison uniform stripes. Eventually, the stories begin to merge into a surrealistic tale spanning several levels of reality, e.g.: Are characters in one story traveling on the toy train in another? Answers are never provided--this is not a mystery or puzzle book. Instead, Black and White challenges the reader to use text and pictures in unexpected ways. Although the novelty will wear off quickly for adults, no other writer for adults or children explores this unusual territory the way Macaulay does. All ages.
Seriously, this book was so hard to explain to my small group that I have cheated completely, and am including a review by Publisher's Weekly. But I think this is an excellent, excellent book to give to the more advanced readers in 3rd grade and 4th. This can be used into high school.
I think what is going on in this book is so given to interpretation. Once I got used to it, I really delighted in seeing the connections between the four stories as well as the unfolding story lines: the train commuters creating hats, etc, decorating with newspapers really struck home. I used to commute by train into the city every day, looking at the paper, etc. and the whole traveling could be completely shot by the smallest mishap.
But if someone hasn't had that experience or traveled by train, they would need information before the book is read or looked at, to understand what is going on, and why, importantly, the boy's parents are so giddy with the papers etc.
From Publishers Weekly
At first glance, this is a collection of four unrelated stories, each occupying a quarter of every two-page spread, and each a slight enough tale to seem barely worth a book--a boy on a train, parents in a funny mood, a convict's escape and a late commuter train. The magic of Black and White comes not from each story, however, but from the mysterious interactions between them that creates a fifth story. Several motifs linking the tales are immediately apparent, such as trains--real and toy--and newspapers. A second or third reading reveals suggestions of the title theme: Holstein cows, prison uniform stripes. Eventually, the stories begin to merge into a surrealistic tale spanning several levels of reality, e.g.: Are characters in one story traveling on the toy train in another? Answers are never provided--this is not a mystery or puzzle book. Instead, Black and White challenges the reader to use text and pictures in unexpected ways. Although the novelty will wear off quickly for adults, no other writer for adults or children explores this unusual territory the way Macaulay does. All ages.
November 13, 2018
A boy on a train, sleeping during an overnight trip, unsure of what he's seeing when the train stops. Commuters waiting at the station for their train that's been delayed, ultimately amusing themselves with newspapers to pass the time. A little boy describing a sudden change in his parents, from ordinary and mundane to unpredictable. And cows who escape a field. In David Macaulay's Black and White , four stories stories are told at once. Will they converge at the end? This postmodern picture book offers multiple perspectives to the reader, and its juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated elements can be confusing to the reader or can be seen as an opportunity to dig deeper and, almost like a puzzle, figure out how everything fits together.
I felt a little overwhelmed when I first started reading the book. Should I read all four stories at once, or read them one at a time? When I got to the end of the story the first time, I wasn't all that sure of what I'd just read. With each re read, however, I found something new. Reminded me a little of a brain teaser in book form.
As a teacher, I can see myself using this book with my students to teach attention to detail and perspective taking. This book would also be a great example of how re reading a story is an important skill that leads us to a deeper understanding of the text we're reading. In fact, sometimes you might read a story, like Black and White , multiple times and find something new each time!
I felt a little overwhelmed when I first started reading the book. Should I read all four stories at once, or read them one at a time? When I got to the end of the story the first time, I wasn't all that sure of what I'd just read. With each re read, however, I found something new. Reminded me a little of a brain teaser in book form.
As a teacher, I can see myself using this book with my students to teach attention to detail and perspective taking. This book would also be a great example of how re reading a story is an important skill that leads us to a deeper understanding of the text we're reading. In fact, sometimes you might read a story, like Black and White , multiple times and find something new each time!
July 7, 2016
I started reading this with my 7 year old. She quickly gave up on the book, saying it was boring and confusing. I read it twice on my own. I can't decide whether to give it 5 stars or 2 stars. This is one of the most unusual picture books I have read. Most of the pages are divided into four sections with four stories occurring. There is a story of a young boy traveling on a train back home. Then there is a girl and her brother whose parents are typically pretty distracted but one night act in a completely unusual way. Then there is a crowd of people waiting for a train. Waiting and reading the paper...and finally using the paper to decorate, make hats, etc. Finally, there are a bunch of Holstein cows that get out of their field and block a train...along with a criminal hiding in their midst. Four stories that are each only mildly interesting. However, the four stories are connected and interrelated. The first time I read, I picked up on some of the connections but still felt confused. O my second reading, the story became clearer. It's very clever. It seems like a book that needs to be read multiple times (and I almost want an answer key at the end to make sure I "get it").
I really didn't care for the illustrations but the concept is so intriguing. Very unusual book.
I really didn't care for the illustrations but the concept is so intriguing. Very unusual book.
September 7, 2018
This isn't one book: it's five. Each quadrant on the page is a separate story, but if you can figure it out, all of them are inter-related. This will easily keep children amused, and the stories themselves are quite original. I think I liked the escaping cows one best (drawn in a highly simplified, bright, child-like style), probably followed by the boy on the train trip (done in a more traditional artistic style with I think watercolors. The station story (more realistic) was amusing, but not much happens for quite a while until things start to get interesting. The one I wasn't so crazy about the two kids whose parents dress them in newspaper. I get sort of why it happens, but it felt like the daughter in particular was really concerned for the parents' sanity, and frankly so was I for a while, so it felt less fun. The idea behind this was excellent, though.
May 14, 2015
“Black and White” by David Macaulay is an extremely ambiguous picture book. First of all, there is the intriguing title that suggests.. well basically nothing concrete. Then, we see four stories which, although are presented at the same time, seem to be separate. However, the first impression may be misleading: the stories connect in various ways. The task of a reader is to use the imagination to find these connections. Indeed, this book encourages creative thinking.
Macaulay took care of the smallest detail: each story not only has a different writing style, but also differs in terms of the illustration style. I think that reading this picture book may be a challenging, but at the same time very satisfying experience.
Macaulay took care of the smallest detail: each story not only has a different writing style, but also differs in terms of the illustration style. I think that reading this picture book may be a challenging, but at the same time very satisfying experience.
May 5, 2015
Although the title suggests that everything is going to be clear inside, you will be surprised how much messy the inside is. David Macaulay does a great job by showing four stores at the same time, where each story is illustrated using different type of technique. At first all the stories seem disconnected, but after re-reading the book one may discover some small hints that would certainly give you a sense of connection. I appreciate the fact that Macaulay makes his readers puzzled and confused by showing that reading a picture book is not only about turning the pages where everything is given to the readers on a plate.
April 21, 2017
Black and White was a book unlike any that I have ever read. Although, it is a mystery, it is not your traditional mystery. Throughout the story, there are four stories being told simultaneously. This book could provoke great conversation among the class or small groups. While reading this book, you have to think to yourself, "what is going on?" I found myself trying to figure that out! This book would spark conversation and allow students to predict and make inferences, while finding clues in the text, or patterns, to help them decipher what really is happening. I would recommend this book for students in k-6. Not to mention it was a Caldecott winner!
November 29, 2018
This book is brilliant, this appears to be a book which contains four stories yet when read carefully it is read as one story. I really enjoyed this, I think children would too.
March 24, 2019
Apparently, I'd already read this for my Caldecott Reading Challenge in 2012 when I wrote it was "a great experiment in storytelling."
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