Miss Mae's Saturday by Justine Flynn illustrated by J Yi

In one of the first school libraries where I worked there was a wonderful book about imaginative play with cardboard boxes and ever since I have loved stories which incorporate this idea. 

Mae enjoys Saturday's because her grandmother comes to visit and they spend their days together at the zoo, ballet or having a picnic but on this Saturday it is raining. Mae is dismayed but grandma has a large cardboard box and says "we will have our adventure right here at home with this."

And what an adventure they have travelling to Africa to see lions, Korea to watch a tea ceremony and finally up into space!  You can see the cherry blossoms from Korea on the cover.

Here is a set of teachers notes from the publisher for Miss Mae's Saturday.  I would link this book with On Sudden Hill, The terrible suitcase, A box can be many things, Harry's Box, The man who loved boxes, The gift and Not a box.  I would also read Grandma's Surprise - a very special book about imaginative play with a loved grandmother.  Take a look at this Pinterest of other books on the theme of boxes complied by my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything.

The illustrator of this book is J Li or Anne Li as she is sometimes known.  She is also the illustrator of the Alice-Miranda series and Clementine series.