How Roland Rolls
K-Gr 2—Roland the wave suffers from being separated from friends by a big ship. When he reaches the coast where he expects his life to end, he realizes that he is not just a wave, but the whole ocean. The idea of interconnectedness is commendable, but the text doesn't express it in a child-friendly way. As soon as Roland realizes he is the ocean, we see him in rivers, but also in puddles, sinks, and even tears. This will be confusing to readers with no understanding of the water cycle. The illustrations are indistinct; it is difficult to determine what some spreads depict. The last line of the book ("You're like Roland and you'll always be rollin' along. The End?") reveals an admirable message, but the end product falls short.—Laura Stanfield, Campbell County Public Library, Ft. Thomas, KY