Where is Gah-Ning? (Classic Munsch)
PreSchool-Grade 1-A young Chinese-Canadian girl wants to go to the nearby town of Kapuskasing. Her father says, "No way," but Gah-Ning tries anyway, first on her bike, then on rollerblades. Both times, her father catches her and takes her home. She succeeds the third time, though, floating all the way there with the help of 300 balloons. The theme of childhood defiance (and eventual success in getting what you want) is, of course, always popular with children. Munsch mixes contemporary details with a folkloric style in an interesting but not always successful manner. On the whole, the plot is unfocused. The brightly colored, cartoon illustrations suit the story, and the illustrator plays with the design and layout in interesting ways. But even some of the liveliest scenes have a somewhat static look, and the facial expressions of the characters lack subtlety. The author's description of meeting the real Gah-ning is more intriguing than this slight story.Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, ILCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.