It's Jack's birthday and like all little children he's excited to see what presents his party will bring....or rather not. You see, like many kids today who start off with a cell phone in one hand and a tablet PC in the other, the thought of another bright and shiny do it all for you toy just isn't appealing. I mean really, there's something said for being grateful one received presents at all but really....how many new serving robots or fancy musics players does one actually need? Thank goodness for one last present his sister discovers he somehow missed at the party.... (The horror!) ...for inside is the key to the adventure of a lifetime.

So...what was in the box? Ah, that's the million dollar question now isn't it? You see, it was something and nothing all at once. It was worth its weight in gold though weightless; unable to be traded yet shareable. It's not what it held (for it DID contain something) but what it unleashed...the power of IMAGINATION.

With a brief note on how to use it, a few "magical" words (*ahem*..."THINK THINK THINK-A-MA-JINK HULLA-BA-LOO RAZZA-MA-DOO!") and an open mind, Jack and his sister Marie were off on adventures like no other. Ever imagine being a 40 story tall monster bent on destroying a city? Jack did. Or how about traveling to a time before humans and the wild things roamed the earth? Jack did. How about turning your brother into Princess Stinkerbell? Marie did that...hehe....but you see where this is heading. Their creativity was set free and even when a potential disaster to their fun strikes, the potent cocktail of their creative juices could not be stopped for they had discovered the true secret to the present received, the power of imagination.

It can't be boxed...for long. It can't grow old and disappear...it merely matures. It can't be taken away from you....unless you let it be. It's an intangible gift that everyone is granted, but not everyone uses....of which the thought alone scares me. Can you imagine a world without imagination? What current and future wonders would we miss out on if this one simple element of our genetic makeup was removed? Something to ponder, yes....but that's a world I wouldn't want to live in (anyone for a trip to the moon?).

Recommended reading for all ages from the tall to the small. There's not an imagination out there that can't appreciate the message here ...and if you factor in the wonder filled drawings, you've gained the interest of those last few hold outs.
( )

I loved this book! It teaches that some of the best times are when we use our imagination. ( )

I did not care for this book at all. It had great promise in the beginning with the potential of adventure and mischief when Jack receives his mysterious “think machine”. I thought and expected Jack to take us on all sorts of adventures teaching us the importance of using our imaginations, but instead all he did were silly things like turning his sister into a toad. The only saving grace of the book were the illustrations. They were colorful and imaginative. Whamond seemed to have the intention of bringing home the message of the importance of an imagination, but he failed with the abrupt ending of the book. ( )

It's Jack's birthday and like all little children he's excited to see what presents his party will bring....or rather not. You see, like many kids today who start off with a cell phone in one hand and a tablet PC in the other, the thought of another bright and shiny do it all for you toy just isn't appealing. I mean really, there's something said for being grateful one received presents at all but really....how many new serving robots or fancy musics players does one actually need? Thank goodness for one last present his sister discovers he somehow missed at the party.... (The horror!) ...for inside is the key to the adventure of a lifetime.

So...what was in the box? Ah, that's the million dollar question now isn't it? You see, it was something and nothing all at once. It was worth its weight in gold though weightless; unable to be traded yet shareable. It's not what it held (for it DID contain something) but what it unleashed...the power of IMAGINATION.

With a brief note on how to use it, a few "magical" words (*ahem*..."THINK THINK THINK-A-MA-JINK HULLA-BA-LOO RAZZA-MA-DOO!") and an open mind, Jack and his sister Marie were off on adventures like no other. Ever imagine being a 40 story tall monster bent on destroying a city? Jack did. Or how about traveling to a time before humans and the wild things roamed the earth? Jack did. How about turning your brother into Princess Stinkerbell? Marie did that...hehe....but you see where this is heading. Their creativity was set free and even when a potential disaster to their fun strikes, the potent cocktail of their creative juices could not be stopped for they had discovered the true secret to the present received, the power of imagination.

It can't be boxed...for long. It can't grow old and disappear...it merely matures. It can't be taken away from you....unless you let it be. It's an intangible gift that everyone is granted, but not everyone uses....of which the thought alone scares me. Can you imagine a world without imagination? What current and future wonders would we miss out on if this one simple element of our genetic makeup was removed? Something to ponder, yes....but that's a world I wouldn't want to live in (anyone for a trip to the moon?).

Recommended reading for all ages from the tall to the small. There's not an imagination out there that can't appreciate the message here ...and if you factor in the wonder filled drawings, you've gained the interest of those last few hold outs. ( )