Museum Trip

Where does one even begin to describe Museum Trip (2006) by Barbara Lehman? I could begin with the end, when I felt a sense of satisfaction for the young boy's achievement. Perhaps I could begin with the beginning, where we see the main character getting on a bus with his classmates for a field trip to the museum. Where ever one could start, Museum Trip is an intriguing story of a young boy's trip to a museum with his classmates.

Once at the museum, the young student falls behind when he stops to tie a loose shoelace. While looking for his class, he steps into an unlabeled room, where he finds several small mazes. He manages to jump into the mazes and make his way through all of them, stepping into an unmarked door in the last one where he receives an honor of some kind. The medal is interesting, as another one just like it appears in a most unlikely place at the end.

Throughout the story, the author uses different types of framing. The framing techniques help to convey the young boy's emotions. No where is this more apparent than on the page where he realizes he's alone. The author couples demand (the young boy staring at the reader) with no frame or background. The reader can't help but feel the young boy's momentary panic.

Museum Trip was simply a fun read. I feel certain my kindergartners will enjoy this wordless picture book. We will have fun analyzing the book as we stop and I ask my students what they see and notice, what's the same and what has changed. Also, all along the way, I'll ask, "How do you think he feels now?" I'll also ask them why they think he feels the way he does.