A girl. An elevator. A magic button.
Have you ever wanted to press a button to open a door into a new world or exciting environment? I imagined this often as a child, and now, during this time of COVID-19, I find myself wishing it again!
Young Iris gets that experience in the new picture book by super tandem Minh Lê and Dan Santat, authors of the hugely popular, Drawn Together. Finding an elevator button left in the trash by the repair man, Iris tapes the button next to her closet door and soon discovers that pushing it leads her into new and thrilling worlds such as jungles and outer space.
Imagination is at the core of this wonderful story, but it is also a sweet portrait of sibling relationships. The end pages alone will lead to a great classroom discussion.
Like in Drawn Together, Lê and Santat combine sparse text (often wordless) with the stunning illustration panels. The effect is a rich, funny, and compelling.
I’m looking forward to sharing Lift with my students this month, using it both as a prompt for a community discussion and a narrative or imaginative writing piece.
May this whole school year open new doors and experiences for all our students.
