Lively Elizabeth!: What Happens When You Push
PreS-Gr 2–When lively Elizabeth pushes Joe Fitzhugh at school, she sets off a domino effect with falling children and broken toys in its wake. In the aftermath, as the children sort themselves out, the blame eventually falls to Elizabeth. Joe shouts at her, "What have you done? You pushed me and hurt everyone!" Luckily for her, Joe and her classmates (there are no adults in evidence) accept her sincere apology, and they all head outside to play with no further incident. The text is placed in and around the illustrations for maximum effect as it describes in detail who falls into whom and the ensuing damage. Thomas's illustrations make the whole thing work. The action is clear, as are the consequences of that ill-fated push. The myriad children wear wacky costumes, have expressive faces, and are awash in detail that makes multiple readings a joy.Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.