Let's Go, Hugo!

PreS-Gr 1—An uplifting story about conquering fears and making friends. Hugo, the scarf-sporting avian protagonist, prefers walking to flying. He enjoys his ground-based Parisian life, making art instead of nests. While building a model of the Eiffel Tower, he meets Lulu, who invites him to the real landmark. He distracts her with land-bound activities until nighttime falls and she leaves. Saddened by her departure, Hugo admits his fear of flying to Bernard the owl. The old bird wisely remarks that "everyone is afraid of something," and teaches Hugo to fly. With more practice and encouragement, he conquers his fears and befriends Lulu. Mixed-media illustrations delight with rich colors, subtly textured paper backgrounds, and varied perspectives. Drawn with almost stick-figurelike simplicity, the birds charm with their vivacious expressiveness. Playful endpapers feature Hugo engaged in his creative pursuits in the front papers and playing with Lulu in the back pages. Pair this with Rob Scotton's Splish, Splash, Splat! (HarperCollins, 2011) or Melanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel (Kids Can, 2006) for additional inspiration for anxious youngsters.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY