South
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 3—McDonnell has composed another quiet gem. Literally. The sole sounds are birdsong, weeping, and snoring; the only words appear on signs: "South" and "Walk." The season is fall, and the chorus comes from a flock perched in a nearly bare tree. In the next instant, the birds lift off, and, as the pages turn, the last leaf drops, bonking a slumbering bird on the head at the base of the tree. Anyone who has every experienced the thought of being abandoned or feeling lost will relate to the utterly convincing panic conveyed in the artist's expressive watercolors and emotive lines as it dawns on this tiny creature that he has been left behind. Yet, he is not alone. Enter Mooch, the feline protagonist from the artist's comic strip "Mutts." He offers a hand, leading and carrying his young charge through rural and urban landscapes, until the birds are joyfully reunited. McDonnell's comfort with unfilled expanses, his beautifully balanced compositions, and the nature of his brushwork evoke the feel of traditional Chinese art. Tan recycled paper provides warmth in keeping with this tender, compact story. While it will be enjoyed universally, be sure to place it where nonreaders will find it, and remember it when asked for a Good Samaritan story. Its subtle sweetness is a rare and wonderful thing.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.