Two Days in May
Based on an incident that occurred several years ago in Chicago, Taylor's (Ulaq and the Northern Lights) workmanlike story begins when a city girl discovers five deer grazing on lettuce she has planted behind her apartment building. The deer remain calm as a multiracial group of neighbors gathers around them. When an animal control officer is called, he explains that the law requires him to shoot the deer; the crowd decides to stage a "peaceful protest" and surrounds the creatures until a wildlife rescue organization can be reached. The first-person narrative often sounds flat: "We got to know one another better, and we learned more about the deer," Sonia says as neighbors swap facts and observations. Torres's (Subway Sparrows) pale, gently focused pictures set a warm mood and convey the gradually strengthening bond among the deer's protectors, but her compositions are often static. Energy is missing from both text and artAthe characters' amazement at the presence of the deer never transfers itself to readers. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.