Floater

PreS-Gr 2—An unnamed boy wakes up one morning to discover he is floating in the air. Unable to decide whether this turn of events is scary or fun, he nevertheless has to go to school. Floating like a balloon from a rope tied to his pants, he is dragged by his friend and then behind the school bus as the class goes on a field trip to the zoo. The boy starts to enjoy himself when he gets to feed peanuts to the giraffes, but when a monkey grabs his pants to get the peanuts in its pockets, the child drifts away. Panicked at first, he decides to appreciate this unique adventure. He soars up through the clouds and meets a playground's worth of other kids who are having a grand time swooping and spinning in the sky, and he enjoys his new life as a floater. This delightful story is accompanied by bright, fanciful illustrations. The youngster's face is drawn with lots of expression, indicating his fear and delight at being able to float. The tall size of the book allows for vertical pictures and aerial scenes that match the tone of the story. Match this whimsical fantasy with David Weisner's Tuesday (Clarion, 1991) for an amusing airborne storytime.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT