Module 10: Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming

"'I have a box for Katje--a box from America!'"

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Citation

Fleming, C.  (2003).  Boxes for Katje.  New York:  Melanie Kroupa Books.

Summary

In a small Dutch town shortly after World War II, little Katje is surprised one day to receive a package from the United States.  It turns out to be a care package sponsored by the Children's Aid Society.  Inside she finds soap, socks, and chocolate, all of which are in short supply following the war.  She shares her gift with her mother and postman and writes a letter of thanks to Rosie, the American girl who sent the box.  Rosie and her mother are touched by Katje's letter and send sugar to Katje, which she shares with even more friends.  The cycle continues throughout the winter, each time the gifts from Rosie becoming more plentiful as her friends in America contribute to the boxes.  By the end of the winter, Katje's entire village has benefited from Rosie's generosity and Katje decides to repay her with a thoughtful Dutch gift:  tulips, straight from her mother's garden.   The story is based on the author's mother's childhood experience of sending a relief box to Holland and continuing the correspondence throughout the winter. 

My Impressions

Boxes for Katje tells a cheerful story about the joy that can be spread by a little generosity.  The text is simple, colorful, setting the scene for the story.  The dialogue is somewhat stilted, included mostly to provide context and advance the story, but does not distract from the main points.  Each new box repeats the cycle of opening the box, sharing the contents, and writing a letter that unintentionally reveals a new need.  This pattern is not obvious and helps children to follow along and know what to expect.  The illustrations, done in pencil, oil pastel, and acrylic, are bright and emotive, helping the reader to place himself into the story.  I especially enjoyed the inclusion of each letter, written in either Rosie's or Katje's handwriting.  Children will delight to see how the overseas correspondence grows, and might perhaps be inspired to share a little themselves. 

Reviews

School Library Journal

"Gr 1-4- "After the war, there was little left in the tiny Dutch town of Olst. The townspeople lived on cabbages and seed potatoes. They patched and repatched their worn-thin clothing, and they went without soap or milk, sugar or new shoes." Set in post-World War II Holland and based on an actual incident, this story illuminates a little-known episode in history. To offset the devastation left by the war, the Children's Aid Society and other relief agencies encouraged American students to send boxes of basic necessities to victimized children. When Katje in Olst receives such a box from Rosie in Mayfield, IN, the two begin a correspondence that eventually triggers a relief effort that enables this small Dutch town to make it through an unbearably frigid winter. Fleming does an estimable job of bringing time and place into focus, and presents endearing, fleshed-out characters with whom readers can easily empathize and sympathize. Dressen-McQueen's warm-toned colored-pencil, oil-pastel, and acrylic illustrations accurately reflect dress, architecture, and other details, and the facial expressions and body postures of the characters effectively convey their joy in these much-appreciated gifts. A good choice for storyhour as well as for independent reading and an excellent discussion starter."

Oliff, G., Jones, T. E., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., Larkins, J., & L. Toth.  (2003). [Review of the book Boxes for Katje by C. Fleming].  School Library Journal, 49(9), 177-178.

Horn Book Magazine

"Amidst the deprivations of life in post-WWII Holland, young Katje receives a care package from an American girl. Katje writes a thank-you note to Rosie, who, when she hears about Katje's generosity with the handful of gifts, begins recruiting friends and neighbors to help send bigger and bigger packages to Katje, who shares the bounty with her friends and neighbors. Fleming has carefully shaped her story so that Katje's heartfelt letters unintentionally inspire further gifts from Rosie (a clothing drive at Rosie's church results from Katje's innocent mention of how the box of food made everyone so happy they forgot about the holes in their shoes). The opening endpapers show Rosie's Indiana neighborhood in 1945; closing endpapers feature the same scene two years later, each yard overflowing with color--from the tulip bulbs Katje's community sends to express their gratitude. First-time illustrator Dressen-McQueen keeps the sentimentality of the story at bay with artwork that matter-of-factly presents Katje's poverty and Rosie's relative prosperity while, like the text, emphasizing their similarities: the secure warmth each experiences at home and their desire to help others. Reflecting the story's theme about friendship's ability to bridge long distances, the multimedia illustrations often overlay a scene from Katje's hometown with one of the girls' handwritten letters and a snapshot-like picture of Rosie's home. An author's note provides further information on the actual events that inspired Fleming's story."

Brabander, J. M. (2003). [Review of the book Boxes for Katje by C. Fleming]. Horn Book Magazine, 79(5), 596-597.

Suggested Library Uses

• A great choice for a storytime about sharing or gift-giving. 
• Use the story as inspiration to participate in a similar community effort, such as Operation Christmas Child or a Red Cross response to a natural disaster.

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