Not a Box

Have you ever read this picture book? It was only published in 2006, but I think it should be considered a classic. It is quintessential childhood in a few short sentences and line drawings. For me, the dedication page says it all: "To children everywhere sitting in cardboard boxes."

What is it about sitting in a box that is so great anyway? I don't think my kids have quite developed the imagination to make a box something more than it is, so why the excitement? How can eating chips in a box be so much cooler than sitting up to the table or even on the floor for that matter?

Is it just that a box defines your own personal space? Does it give kids a sense of control to know their limits and boundaries? Or is it something more subconscious, something that has to do with being squished in the womb, that makes a box feel secure? I'm not sure, but Antoinette Portis has the right idea. Children everywhere are sitting in cardboard boxes.