I Wrote You a Note

by Lizi Boyd

In this deceptively simple storybook from award-winning author-illustrator Lizi Boyd, readers will delight in following a note's unexpected journey and encountering a cast of charming characters along the way. The spare text is filled with the kind of repetition and rhythm that make for a captivating read-aloud, while the humor and childlike cadence will engage readers who are beginning to decipher books on their own. The brilliantly colored paintings share the gentleness of the text but also bring a joyous exuberance to this celebration of nature, curiosity, imagination, and friendship.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Nature, Childrens, Friendship, Writing, Adventure

36 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2017

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is probably one of those books that you're either going to like or dislike based on your view of the illustrations. The story is kind of tiresome, with a bunch of creatures finding the note and using it for different things. I just wanted to know what the note said! (We find out at the end. It's not that exciting.)

The illustrations are really stylized, and if you like them, you might like the book. But I thought they were kind of strange... and yet somehow boring. I just couldn't bring myself to care much about the story as a result.

This is a "it's-not-you-it's-me" book. I didn't like it. But there's nothing objectively awful about it, so your mileage may vary.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The young narrator of Lizi Boyd's I Wrote You a Note tracks her missive as various creatures, from a turtle to a snail, find and then discard her letter. What she really wants to know, however, is if her friend has received her invitation to play...

I really loved Boyd's artwork here, with its subtle but appealing color palette, and its stylized animal characters. Although not particularly wowed by the narrative, I did find the repetitive structure, in which a series of animals each find the note and attempt to use it in different ways, interesting, and think it might engage younger children. I also liked the engagement with the natural world that is highlighted throughout. I was on the fence with this one, regarding rating, but I upped it to three stars, because I enjoyed the visuals so much, and because I think other readers might make more of the text than I did.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronicle Books always publishes the cutest books with the best illustration styles, and I Wrote You a Note is no exception!  Following the path of a note from its writer to its recipient, this book uses fun rhymes and cadences as well as a lively cast of characters.  This book would be perfect for the child who likes a repetitive story structure, and the child who loves looking for clues to see what will happen next!

Review cross-listed here!

[Nidofito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute. Introduces wildlife, friendships, and adventuring!

[Jeimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all the uses the animals find for the note, not to mention the note itself!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like the book and the note
its not a mestrey frevr in the end
we see the note.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the books written and illustrated by Lizi Boyd, and this is no exception to that rule for me. Her books seem to capture the essence of universal experiences--in the case, a friend waiting for a response to a note written to another friend--in a way that gives them both weight and meaning. The simple words, accompanied by illustrations, created in gouache, draw readers into the story as they wait to see what happens to that note. I had my doubts that it would survive its arduous journey as it moved from animal to animal as nature got into the act, somehow inadvertently helping the note reach its destination. The fact that it is used as a sail and a napping tent amused me, and I also enjoyed watching the note writer performing various actions in the background and observing a spider's web or finding interesting parts of nature such as stones and branches. Young readers might enjoy predicting what will happen to the note and to whom it has been written, and they will relate to having done exactly the same thing. The book is lovely and meaningful on several different levels. This will make its way into my permanent collection.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl lying in a meadow writes a note and leaves it to be found. And it is found by all kinds of small animals and birds who each use it according to their needs and then abandon it. Eventually though, it is found by its intended recipient and the contents revealed. Boyd’s sparse stylized gouache illustrations done in a limited palette of green, blue, yellow and dusty pink on a beige background add a bit of whimsy to the note’s journey. The text, including the refrain of “I wrote you a note. Did you find it?” looks just like the block lettering of a young child. Readers will have fun spotting the different critters in the background, many of whom will find a use for the note. A fun, thought-provoking story.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

One friend writes a note on a piece of bark. While waiting for her friend to find the note and come play, she imagines what all the animals who might have encountered the note did with it. The turtle built a raft with a sail, the dragonfly used it as a tent, the spider thought it was a bridge to keep his feet dry, and many more. Finally, the note reaches it's intended recipient and the friends meet to play.

[H Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

a sweet book about a girl wrote a note on a piece of tree bark, it circled through animals and found its final destination.

The illustrations are naive and cute. The story plot is sweet too. Have no idea why the average rating so far is only 3.5, and there are 200 samples already, so it should not be a sample issue. Most so-so pictures books received 3.8 - 4.2 on average.

Curious to know what is wrong with this book. Maybe someone can explain what they don't like about this book ?

[Alison T. Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I wrote you a note. Did you find it?" And so the journey of the note begins. Over streams, a pond and through the meadow the note wends its way with help from various animals and insects along the way. The illustrations are simple and inviting. I love the expressions and simple eye movement of the main character interacting with the animals. The illustrations give the story a very serene feeling. It's a beautiful picture book with a nice rhythm.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gender-neutral child finds amusement in nature, alongside a sequence of small animals engaging in both natural and anthropomorphic activities outside; making bridges out of sticks, lying in the grass to look at clouds, stacking rocks, growing vegetables, picking flowers, wading in a stream, and making houses and boats. Boyd’s gouache illustrations resemble woodblock prints and fill the page with bold shapes but gentle colors on a gray background - giving them a feeling of calm coziness. As in Boyd’s earlier books, the various animals come across as potential friends who nevertheless live their own lives undisturbed by the dark-haired, pink-cheeked child. The note that resembles a scrap of birchbark travels through the natural environment, used by each creature for a different purpose until it reaches the intended recipient. The sequence of uses for the scrap of paper demonstrate a process of creative imagination and multiple perspectives without a didactic tone. This quiet, joyful, thoughtful book is inspiring and useful for one-on-one sharing or classroom reading for preschool to first grade.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I was teaching my kids past tense verbs. Hence, this book is perfect cause the title itself is I WROTE You A Note. Past tense! However, besides focusing on the past tense, I was able to ask my students to do sequencing as the story is about the note passing from one animal to the other. I also asked my pupils to predict who's that note actually for and they give highly relatable answer and some got it right.

The illustrations is also great for spotting activity, like what else do they notice in the illustrated pages. I also love how this simple story could also instil critical thinking among my pupils. We talk about a snail's home like they live in their shell isn't it? We talked about how goats couldn't read.

And of course we actually create many things using a piece of paper. As the note was passed around in the story, the animals use it as something, as a hat, as a basket, etc. So I asked them to do it as well, it's not just about reading but as well as creating.

However, some of them find the illustrations is not quite their aesthetic, referring to the drawing of the girl, the eyes creep them out. The animals are cute though!

[Niki Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

BIG BEAR, LITTLE CHAIR will forever hold a place in my heart, and I WROTE YOU A NOTE is the book to give little ones when their reading level increases beyond plain opposites. The narrator guides the reader in the first phrases, "I wrote you a note. Did you find it?" The note cycles through a cast of inventive animal characters, each finding a creative way to make the physicality of the note useful to them. Visual foreshadowing and parallel visual narratives abound, and there is so much for young eyes learning to be fluent visual "readers" to explore on each page. A eye-catching and stimulating read!

[Carol V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet fresh story about going on an adventure, nature, and animals. Follow along as a little girl writes a note to her friend. Such a humorous story that will warm your heart. Pair this book with another similar story - The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles and have a great collection of books on kindness and friendship!

[FM Family · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah this one is a solid 3. It's alright, nothing wrong with it but nothing memorable. One of those classic story structures where a bunch of characters interact with the same item, in this case a note, in very different ways, but it ultimately finds it's rightful owner. My 3.5 year old liked it but would never choose it, though she did enjoy flipping through it on her own a few times

[Deidra Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it would have been more meaningful if the note reached someone in the future, maybe her future self or even someone different who she knew would be coming to visit soon. Maybe the passing of seasons could have been included that way or something with more substance. As is, it’s beautiful illustrations with little to say.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting illustrations picture the girl, writer of the note, doing things during the day until it is time to meet her friend.
Many creatures find her note and use the paper for unintended purposes before it reaches her friend.
"I wrote you a note.
Did you find it?" is repeated often.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl uses a piece of bark to write a note to her friend. The note goes through an interesting journey on its way to the friend as different animals use the note in various ways.

Gouache artwork. PreK-2.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young girl writes a note and it takes a long detour before it finally gets to her friend. The animals that find the note and moves it on are interesting. The illustrations are detailed and a pastel pallet. A quiet read and thoughtful.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely story of a young girl who sends a note into a field. The note is received and used by different animals, in different ways. The story is sweet and the illustrations are just fantastic.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate Liza Boyd's unique illustrations in this book a lot. I like that all the different creatures viewed the note from their own unique perspectives. I'm just kind of confused as to how many notes the girl wrote before it was magically received by the recipient for who it was intended.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not quite what I look for in my storytimes. It's a progression story. Kids might enjoy it at home. The ending was kind of bland for me. I more enjoyed seeing the note's adventures and how each animal used it.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book because she writes a letter to her friend, but lots of people think of it's different stuff, so they use it for different stuff because it's paper. Paper can fold into anything: hats, lily pads, boats, well, not really lily pads...

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book but a little boring. I think the concept of a note or piece of paper filling so many different roles was cute though. Brighter colors and illustrations definitely could have helped this book too.

[Melissa Metz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book for my level of French. I’m just starting to learn the past tense and the repetition with variations were familiar and just a little challenging. The stylized pictures of animals helped me decode words like l’écureuil.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Several interesting visual elements/pages.

[Janet Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so delightful.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun glimpse at the many places a written note might wander before arriving at its destination. I love the soft, lively, earth-tone illustrations.

[Tami (agreatbook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous Illustrations