It can be lonely sometimes on a rainy day in a big house with no one else around and there's only the quiet to keep you company. But if you find a key, a mysterious key, that leads you to an unexpected place . . . chances are your afternoon is about to get a lot more interesting.

This Parents Choice Award book tells an adventurous story without a single word. The pictures, done in a charcoal pencil and water colors, depict the characters simply, but portray accurate details in the backgrounds, which are also filled with vibrant colors. Your child may ask you often what is going on the first time you go through the book together, but as they understand that the adventure can mean whatever they want it to, the fun of the book grows.

Your child may relate to the young boy's boredom on a rainy day, when he has to make his own fun inside. Luckily, your child has an imagination too and can choose to go on the little boy's adventure with him - or off on their own adventure altogether. The pictures will fully engage readers' imagination, as the main character finds a lost key that eventually leads him to a surprise view and new place to play. We never do find out for certain whether the boy's experience was real or a daydream, so it's up to you and your child to decide!

Myfriend, Talmadge, calls this "the picture book" and requests it regularly. It makes a great bedtime story, since it gets his imagination rolling and he has plenty to think about as he drifts off to dreamland. Sometimes he asks questions to get me to add to the story, but other times he likes to tell me what's going on. He has names for all of the children and the dog, which is funny enough, but of course the names reflect those of his family.

--Audra