One of the perks of blogging is the occasional gift or sample we receive to test or review. I write about crafts and learn through play activities so when a publishing company contacts me about reviewing one of their new books I always welcome the opportunity with open arms. When last week I was approached by Scholastic Press asking if I would like to receive a copy of their new picture book Where is Walrus? by acclaimed New York illustrator Stephen Savage I was only too happy to accept. I knew it was coming from the US so I wasn’t expecting it so quickly, instead when the parcel arrived a few days later I was truly impressed with their efficiency. The book looked really appealing with a retro front cover which immediately intrigued me and when I opened it I realized it was a signed copy with a little walrus sketch by the signature, which I thought was a really lovely touch. Where is Walrus? tells the amusing story of a cheeky walrus who escapes from the sleepy zoo he lives in to go on an adventure across the city with the zookeeper chasing after him. Walrus cleverly disguises his appearance with all sorts of hats so the zookeeper is unable to track him down until Walrus finds his true calling in life and wins a diving contest. All is well that ends well, Walrus returns to the zoo with the zookeeper safe and sound and the zoo becomes a fun and lively place with a large pool for Walrus to exhibit himself for the visitors. Picture books are wonderful to stimulate children’s imagination and ability to observe and understand a story without the aid of words and Where is Walrus? is great for that. Stephen Savages’ graphically retro illustrations are rich with details and humor, which stimulate children ability to tell a story. Often people mistakenly associate wordless picture books with really young children; I believe there isn’t an age limit to appreciate a story told by beautiful illustrations.  Wordless picture books are equally appealing to young and older kids, in fact they are fantastic for children who can already read not only to stimulate their imagination but their ability to narrate a story in their own words and in an organized manner. My 7 year old really enjoyed narrating the story by putting words to the images. The next step it will be for him to write those words down, which is a great exercise to develop his lieracy skills.