Loud Lula

PreS-Gr 2—It's time for Niki Daly's Ruby Sings the Blues (Bloomsbury, 2005), Alexis O'Neill's Loud Emily (S. & S., 1998), and Kristen Balouch's The Little, Little Girl with the Big, Big Voice (S. & S., 2011) to make room for one more vocal heroine. Lula is born during a twister, but "that ol' storm sounded like nothing more than a chicken feather hitting the henhouse floor" compared to her cry. She grows up bellowing and blasting her way through her small Southern town. When Lula starts school, the concept of an "inside voice" is a struggle. Then she saves the day by spotting impending disaster and yells, "Fire! Yonder comes a big ol' fire!" After that, no one complains about her voice. The story isn't original, but it's told with such charm and enthusiasm that it feels completely fresh. The consistent language feels authentic and is filled with silly Southern expressions, such as when she has "the whole schoolhouse shakin' like a big ol' bowl of boysenberry jelly." The digital illustrations match the expressive energy.