Emily Saw a Door

K-Gr 2–Under the winsome appearance and rib-tickling dialogue of this charming book lies an allegory about belonging. Emily (white, with brownish double ponytails) in her bright red coat and striped tights knocks on a variety of doors hoping to be let in. But like Goldilocks seeking a seat, there is always an obstacle. She isn’t blue enough or tall enough and is not a tiger or a crocodile or a snake. Dejected with her purse dragging on the ground behind her, she comes to a place where she draws her own phantasmagoric door with sidewalk chalk and invites in the first person who knocks. The final wordless page makes it clear that Emily has found her people at last. Minimalist pictures in primary colors surrounded by white capture every nuance of Emily’s reactions from determination to fear, disappointment to hope. The witty exchanges at each door are absurd enough to elicit a laugh and to keep the nature of Emily’s rejections light. Her Harold and the Purple Crayon–style solution explodes in ebullient pastels for a wholly satisfying conclusion.