FICTION

Choose Your Days

by Paula S. WALLACE
illus. by Paula S. Wallace. 40p. Cinco Puntos. Mar. 2016. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9781941026373; pap. $8.95. ISBN 9781941026380; ebk. $8.95. ISBN 9781941026397.
COPY ISBN
Gr 2–4—Old Bear is there when Corky is born, and as he is the keeper of time and keys, he provides her with calendars for all her days. And so Corky lives, filling her lists of things to dream and to do, her growth to old age portrayed by two spreads of bike riding: a tricycle with a teddy bear, and a two-wheeler with a cane propped on the back tire. With just a few days left, Corky asks Old Bear for more time, to find that she holds the key and can choose how she fills the remainder of her days. Though the large stretches of color and organic shapes painted with heavy brushstrokes have visual kid appeal, younger readers may not be able to grasp the sophisticated themes of aging, living life to the fullest, and accepting death or any kind of change with grace.
VERDICT A whimsical, philosophical selection, though the spiritual metaphor misses the mark.
Reviewed by Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library
"When she was born, Corky was given calendars for all of her days by Old Bear, keeper of time and keys." As she grows (she's an old woman for much of the story), she contemplates her time on earth. This highly abstract, gorgeously illustrated, but adult-centered meditation on a life well lived may provoke discussion.
 , May 01, 2016

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