JACK IN A BOX

A muffed take on the observation that children sometimes get more out of the box in which a gift comes than the gift itself. As little Tom unwraps his birthday presents, big brother Jack gets the boxes—and goes on to have all sorts of adventures in his pretend train, boat and rocket. Then, seeing that Tom’s been reduced to watching while their parents play with the new toys, Jack turns his boxes into a jail; suddenly, the grownups are watching from behind bars as Tom finally gets his hands on the loot. Young children drawn by the bright, solid colors in Pottie’s simple cartoon illustrations may enjoy the wish fulfillment here, but will wonder if there’s a page or two missing. Stick with smoother takes on the theme, such as Marisabina Russo’s The Big Brown Box (2000), or John Prater’s The Gift (1986). (Picture book. 5-7)