Carnival

Ages 4-6. Set during a generic carnival, this features two friends, one black and one white, who are excited about the day's parade. Didi gets a spot up close so she can watch for her friend Emma to appear. Masked drummers come by; patchwork clowns and feather-bedecked dancers also prance along--but Emma is nowhere to be seen. The parade rolls on with many exotic participants; finally, at the very end of the line, a beautiful butterfly appears. Emma! When Emma takes off her cloak and puts it on her friend, Didi feels like a butterfly, too. Exuberant acrylic paintings featuring chunky characters capture the gaiety of the carnival. Little kids may not wonder too much about the nonspecificity of the setting, but those who are older or who link the word carnival with the doings down at the fairgrounds may be puzzled. Ambiguity aside, this is still an energetic romp for larger collections. Ilene Cooper

PreSchool-Grade 2?A young child searches for her friend among the performers as she and her mother watch the carnival parade. Simple text describes the participants: patchwork clowns, drummers, and striped-faced ghost dancers. The parading figures, painted with flat shapes and bright flat colors, their faces reduced to a simple cipher, fill up the pages. This close-up view and lack of open space gives the feeling that readers are in the midst of the procession rather than merely watching it. The book gives no explanation of carnival, how it relates to any particular ethnic group or what other activities besides a parade might be included. For children who do not live in areas where it is celebrated, additional information will be needed to convey the uniqueness of this event.?Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
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