Blackout

Blackout
Written and Illustrated by John Rocco

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 9781423121909
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Date of Publication: May 24, 2011
Age: 4 - 8 years
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: family, relationships, power outage, New York City

Awards: Caldecott Honor (2012)

Blackout starts out showing the busy and noisy lives of New Yorkers. One young child in particular wants to play a board game with his family, but each member turns him down, as they are too busy with other things. He goes off to play a video game when the power goes out. Suddenly, the parents cannot work and the sister must get off the phone and finally, the son has a chance to spend quality time with his family.

I loved this book and its simple, unobtrusive message about the importance of making time for family. Of course, the illustrations are fantastic as well (it is a Caldecott Honor, after all). I think it would make a really good book to have in the home, maybe while reading with a flashlight and all the lights out. I recommend it.

Find it at your library or on Amazon