Rosa's Room - Softcover

Barbara Bottner studied painting in Paris, worked as a set designer, and toured the United States and Europe as a member of an acting ensemble before she turned to writing and illustrating books for children and young adults. She is the author of a nearly a dozen books, including Rosa’s Room and Raymond and Nelda, and is the author-illustrator of several titles, including Two Messy Friends and Pish and Posh. She lives in California.

Beth Spiegel has edited award-winning documentary programs for television and directed animated films that have received several international awards. She lives in California.

PreSchool-Grade 2-Rosa moves into a new house and as she gazes at her room she notices one thing: it is empty. She begins to fill it by unpacking her crayons, her clothes, and her doll. As each day passes, the girl continues to decorate the space, setting out her teapot, hanging a poster on the wall, and placing library books here and there. After Rosa has a dream about something beautiful covering her bed, her mother makes her a beautiful floral bedspread. Finally, she feels that things are shaping up. On Sunday, she makes a friend, and Lili loves everything about the room-especially Rosa. Through simple language and age-appropriate details, Bottner does a good job of capturing a child's point of view. Done in watercolor, gouache, and India ink, the illustrations enhance the mood of the text. The image of Rosa's empty room, filled with only a few pieces of furniture and shaded with solid pastel washes, compares nicely to the final result, a space bursting with bright patterns, colorful clutter, and two friends jumping on the bed. There are many books about moving to a new house but few describe taking a space and making it one's own in such a positive and creative manner.
Linda Staskus, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH
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