Lights Around the Palm - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 3 Imaginary games and talking animals are common themes in picture books, and Jukes has used these themes to create a most unusual picture book. The underlying theme that ``you can believe in a lot of things if you want to'' is apparent as Emma, a seven year old who lives on a farm, tries to convince her family that she can teach the farm animals to speak and read English. The story is presented through the use of dialogue between Emma, her family, and the animals. Emma's family has difficulty understanding the animals, but her ten-year-old brother Bob is convinced when Emma asks the cat whether a baseball cap is ``mine or his'' and the cat replies ``hisss.'' At times credibility is stretched, as when Emma, after finding her brother's lost airplane, says that ``It must have been stuck on the'' and the sentence is completed by the dog's ``woof.'' Schuett's full-page color paintings capture the atmosphere of farm life. The use of blue as the predominant color and the slight iridescence that surround Emma and the animals enhance the magical element in the story. The title refers to the animals' suggestion that Christmas-tree lights be strung around the base of the palm tree in front of the house. Although the illustrations are well done and reinforce the story, the excessive use of dialogue and the implausibility of the story impair the effectiveness of the book. Bessie Egan, Winnipeg Public Library, Manitoba, Canada
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Emma speaks the language of animals, though no oneespecially her brother Bobbelieves her, and her mother only humors her. She wants Christmas lights around the palm tree outside the house for a change, wound around the trunk "like a Maypole." Taking out her alphabet book, she proceeds to her students for lessonsher class is composed of a horse, a cat, a pig, a duck, a couple of lambs and a chicken. When Emma locates Bob's lost balsa airplane, he joins in the game and decides to help with the palm-tree project. This story is an admirable attempt to create a flight of fancy, but it lacks the spark to truly capture the imagination and remains fixed to the ground. Generous dabs of deep, dark colors and oases of light punctuate each page. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.