dles in a single cupboard,” writes Dorémus (Bear Despair). “To cut a long story
short: it’s a disaster!” Spindly ink cartoons
on tan backgrounds present a cross-section of the building, as residents peer into
cabinets and stare into empty bowls. A
bearded man named Andrew—who plays
music for spare change and has set up
camp near the mailboxes—makes the first
discovery: three carrots. Climbing the
stairs, he visits Nabil, who has two eggs
and a bit of cheese. They climb further,
meeting neighbors and gathering scant
ingredients until they find the perfect answer: quiche. Dorémus splashes his characters and pages with bright colors that
correspond to their contributions, building on the growing sense of jubilation
and camaraderie. By book’s end, the celebration has spread to the streets: “Slices of
quiche, slices of life.” What could be better? Ages 5–7.
Flora and the Flamingo
Molly Idle. Chronicle, $16.99 ISBN 978-
1-4521-1006-6
Without pro-
viding a backstory
for the eponymous
pair’s curious
meeting, Idle
(Nighty Night,
Noah) imagines a
wordless encounter
between a lithe,
sultry flamingo and a pudgy little girl in
a bathing suit, swim cap, and flippers.
The call-and-response nature of their
dance—the flamingo poses in a series of
sinuous movements on the left, Flora does
her awkward best to mimic them on the
right—produces a series of beautifully
lighthearted tableaus. At first, Flora mod-
els her movements on the flamingo’s, un-
beknownst to the bird. A series of stum-
bles draws a sharp reaction from the fla-
mingo and a sulk from Flora, but the fla-
mingo relents and the two collaborate on
a graceful duet that ends with a joyous
flourish. Inset flaps add drama by reveal-
ing new poses, and Idle’s crisp, confident
drafting produces a reading experience
akin to flipping through a series of ani-
mation cells. There’s an undertone of a
growing-up story, too, as Flora almost
seems to shed childhood self-conscious-
ness and take her first tentative steps into
womanhood. It’s seamless and dynamic
visual storytelling. Ages 3–up.
The Great Lollipop Caper
Dan Krall. Simon & Schuster, $16.99
ISBN 978-1-4424-4460-7
Kids know all too well that grownups
like to eat disgusting things. Case in
point: capers. Krall (Oh, Nuts!) gives this
homely, briny seasoning a tortured inner
life (readers may be reminded of Plankton
from SpongeBob SquarePants), imagining
that the adulation of adults, who prize his
“acidic earthiness” is like ashes in Mr. Ca-
Written by
Jean E. Pendziwol
Pictures by
Isabelle Arsenault
★ “A lovely wintry bedtime story, best
for sharing one-on-one.”
— School Library Journal, starred review
★ “A beautiful, lyrical celebration
of northern light and night.”
— Kirkus, starred review
★ “A reverent ode to the magic and
wonder of an icy winter night.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
www.groundwoodbooks.com