#TheLineintheSand #NetGalley
This wordless picture book dives into the classic idea of misunderstanding. While playing at the beach, someone draws a line in the sand. Two friends decide each should not cross the line that has been drawn, but in reality each challenges the thought. After quite a ruckus, an understanding between the two friends occurs. What might that be? A terrific story to share!

This wordless picture book explores tensions and misunderstandings when a monster dragging a stick draws a line in the sand that others wonder about. Is it meant to be crossed? Can it be incorporated into a game? It really made me wonder about what perspectives people take when they don’t know the full meaning behind something. This book is sure to start conversations diverging into many areas of the social-emotional experience. I read this via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Haha who knew a line in the sand could cause so much chaos?!

I liked that it was a wordless book. These are great conversation starters for teachers and parents to get children to think critically and ask questions..

I followed the story but a few parts weren't really clear. I think the book could benefit from more detail on a few of drawings, for clarity and keeping attention.

A cute story that is sure to get a laugh or two!

Thank you, NetGalley for access to the ARC.

A wordless picture book in a graphic novel format. A monster drags a stick as it walks along the sand and through a group of playing monsters. Only two of the monsters, I'll call them Green and Orange, notice the line and assume that it is a line of division that neither should cross. A scuffle ensues between them while the others continue to play, seemingly unaware of the line. Meanwhile, the monster with the stick continues to crisscross through the group, creating more lines. When Green and Orange finally notice the additional lines, they laugh at their silly misunderstanding and return to playing. Now, the group at large is aware of the lines, and uses them, not for division, but imaginative play. The line in the sand is both literal and figurative. It reflects on boundaries found in the larger society; specifically, who, why, and how larger socio-political lines are drawn and enforced.

Lam uses the graphic novel format to great effect. The full-page panel at the beginning depicts an inclusive group of monsters playing alongside each other in harmony. As the argument ensues, the panels become smaller. Many are tight shots of Green and Orange's behavior which focus the reader's attention on the conflict. When the panels pan out enough to capture a few of the other monsters, they seem unaware or uninterested in the arbitrary dispute. A few well-placed action scenes are presented in a series of small panels, changing the pace of the story and the reading. The return to larger panels after the conflict resolution allows all the monsters to be together again, an inclusive group playing alongside each other in harmony again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for the ARC copy of this picture book.

The Line in the Sand is the perfect picture book to help children understand complex issues of friendship, decision making, conflict resolution and misunderstandings. The wordless nature of this picture book allows children to express these ideas in their own words and I could see it being extremely useful in household or classroom discussions of the ways in which we treat those around us, and how easy it is for us to feel upset or frustrated by something that at the end of the day, has very little consequence.

The illustrations are not only beautiful, but expressive and fun. The simple yet bright illustrations of the monsters in this book easily grab the attention of the reader and encourage a focus on movement and action which propels the story forward.

I'm looking forward to using this book for story time at my library!

The illustrations were colorful and fun. You can figure out what's going on by looking at the characters actions and expressions. Simple and entertaining.Was a hit with both the younger and older kids.

**Thank you to Owl Kids books in connection with School Library Journal's Picture Book Palooza for the review copy. This in no way changed my opinion**

To start with, the illustrations in this book are very cute. They're almost cut and paste style. It looks like the characters were made with paper and then the settings were drawn around them. The fact that they're compelling is important because the book has no words, which might make it hard to use for a classroom setting or a bedtime story. However, I think it's a good title to talk through with a child and discuss borders, these imaginary lines that we use to "categorize" others or areas and how we patrol them. The book features two monster-like creatures who get into a tiff because one tries to cross the line. But as they continue to fight, the line blurs. I think that's a powerful thing to show. So the words to the story weren't necessary, but I think it's going to be necessary for an adult to talk it through with a child reader. Very powerful and well executed.

The Line in the Sand is a wordless picture book featuring monsters who must determine what the lines on the ground around them really mean, Can those lines be crossed? Whose job is it to defend the line? What happens when those lines are erased? With delightful illustrations, Thao Lam brings a thought and discussion provoking book that young readers will enjoy exploring with a caregiver.

Wordless books can be so much fun and lend themselves to so much imagination! The Line in the Sand is a creative, whimsical, and meaningful wordless book that follows a group of monsters who must discover the meaning of an accidental line drawn in the sand. With humorous illustrations, the monsters disagree, misunderstand and frustrate each other.
The book will work so well in the classroom as students practice their storytelling skills with this wordless book. It's a great conversation starter about conflict and communication.

This wordless book starts out simple enough with a monster at a beach dragging a stick behind him. This innocently made line becomes something more as others find it dividing. This story will open up discussions about conflict and how we can easily misunderstand the meaning of lines. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this powerful story,

I found this one to be a bit confusing without any text. I’ve read Lam’s Wishes before and thought it was beautiful and meaningful. This one was hard to follow the storyline. I had to go back to the description after reading to understand what the story was supposed to be.

I liked the illustrations; it was fun looking at the variety of characters and how they were different, as well as their different activities. But in the end, I wouldn’t know how to or to whom I would recommend this title.

This wordless picture book is colorful with cute illustrated creatures, but the plot of the story is a bit hard to follow. The creatures learn to stop fighting and get along eventually, but the storyline meanders too much.

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Powerful message about letting some random thing divide us. A monster is aimlessly drawing a line with a stick they found and is oblivious to what is happening behind them. A group of monsters are playing together when two of them notice this line. They discuss it and decide it is a dividing line. Arguments and fights escalate until the line is erased and they realize how foolish they are.
Terrific book to use with younger readers so they can share what they see happening. Use for family dialogue or in a classroom to talk about reaching out to each other and not creating false differences.
I appreciate Lam's work and know they will be well received by my readers.

A perfect conversation started for all ages. This book is simple and has no copy to read. The message is deep and important and one to be shared together with your young reader. Your reader may have another interpretation but in general this is a story of inclusion, diversity and not drawing lines in the sand. The fun monster like characters are outstanding with their cheerful colors and multiple textured illustrations. It might even be fun to create your own monster with different colors and textures as a way to talk about the meaning of this book with your young reader.

Just so much potential in this book.. I LOVE IT!!!

Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Owlkids Books, Owlkids

One of the things I look for when reading a wordless book is if I can still hear the characters in my head. This story is so well told through illustrations, I can not only hear the characters, but I can truly understand what they are saying and how they feel. This book would be a great addition to any library shelf.

Wordless picture books are so fun and so educational. I love them because students get to interpret the book in their own way which can turn into lovely discussions or a great writing prompt for the classroom. This book was great because of all the big emotions represented in the book and all the background characters that added to the story without distracting from the main characters. There will be something new to focus on each time you read through this book and look at it from different perspectives. Thank you #netgalley for introducing me to this book.

I always get excited about a wordless picture book, and so I was thrilled too see The Line in the Sand was such a book. Developmentally they are great for children who are not reading on their own yet, and my 3 year old loved to tell me what was happening to the two main monsters in the book as we read. The reactions of the monsters to each other made it easy for my little one to help tell the story, and I loved the detail of the monster creating the lines throughout the book. It will be neat to see how my child's retelling of this book improves over time.

This wordless picture book tells the story of some monsters on a beach who disagree about the meaning of a line drawn in the sand. Over the course of the story many comical pictures demonstrate the mounting tensions of the monsters and the many different potential meanings of a line in the sand. This book would be the perfect conversation starter for adults to work with children on ideas like conflict resolution and perspective taking, as well as for older students about borders, misunderstandings or even war. It would be a great opportunity for teachers to support young students in developing critical thinking strategies as well. I would highly recommend this book to teachers and teacher librarians as I could see it being an important part of school and classroom library collections. I would also recommend it to adults working with children who are struggling readers or who want to work on creativity and story telling with their children. By taking the words out of the story, the author is able to make so many potential opportunities for readers and he also gives the chance for young children or struggling readers to see themselves as readers by enjoying a book with no words. I think this book would be great for children in the age 4-10 range with potential application in older grades as well. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this neat book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I love Thao Lam. I love wordless picture books. I teach kindergarten to students who are learning English. Wordless books are a fantastic way to elicit vocabulary and allow students to feel like successful readers. Lam, of course, always has the best books.

The Line in the Sand is an illustration-only, text-free book. I liked it overall, but some of the illustrations I was unsure what was happening. The characters are playful and unique.