A Door is to Open
Written by Kyo Maclear ● Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Verdict:
An intriguing, delightfully illustrated ode to curiosity, exploration, and possibilities.
What is it about?
There are so many kinds of doors: swinging doors and sliding doors, screen doors for feeling the night air, revolving doors for going around and around. Doors that open into . . . anything you can imagine! A birthday party, a shipwreck on the salty sea floor, a fairy's tiny home, a slide into a room full of pillows! Or even the fantastical future ahead. Where will the doorway of this picture book lead? The only way to find out is to turn the page and go through.
Our take:
An ode to curiosity and exploration, this lovely picture book invites readers to think about how doorways work, how books work, and how both of them are somewhat the same. Written as a playful homage to Ruth Krauss's classic A Hole Is to Dig (illustrated by a young Maurice Sendak) and to Remy Charlip's essay “A Page Is a Door”, it carries the spirit of those touchstones forward while choosing a subject matter and creating an atmosphere all its own. Julie Morstad’s illustrations are sometimes subtle, even mildly disquieting — a small red door at the top of a staircase, a dark tunnel — but resolve brightly, with bold colors and arresting, detailed spreads.
Perfect fit for:
This book covers a range of themes, from confronting frightening things (like the first day of school), to wondrous things, to discovering how to make your own doors and forge your own pathways. There's something inherently enchanting about doors, how they hold secrets, how they mark the transition from a familiar space to a new one, how they signal possibility. This book captures that perfectly. A natural pick for curious children, children entering a new phase of life, and for anyone of any age who loves the idea of looking beyond a closed door.
Conversation Starters
How many different kinds of doors can you think of? Which one is your favorite?
Some doors give you a "nervous, fizzy feeling." Have you ever felt nervous about going through a door? What was on the other side?
If you could open a door to anywhere at all, where would it lead?
How is turning the page of a book like opening a door?
What would your very own door look like? What color would it be, and who would be allowed to knock?
Can you think of a time when you were brave and tried something new? What "door" did you open?
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