Red, White and Boom!

PreS-Gr 1—Independence Day is brought to jubilant life in this striking picture book. Three familiar Fourth of July celebrations—a city parade, a beach picnic, and fireworks in the park—are described in simple, rhyming language rich in sensory imagery: "Flags unfurl/batons twirl….Castle moats/Seaweed boats….Corncob sweet/Drippy treat….Rockets wing/Crackle, sing/Burst and zoom/Red, white, boom!" Rich in texture and beautiful patterns, the intricate cut-paper collages depict a multicultural, multigenerational mosaic of people who gather in various ways to commemorate our nation's founding freedoms. Children will enjoy following the numerous unnamed characters' movements from one busy scene to the next. Paired with Donald Crews's well-loved Parade (Greenwillow, 1983), this title is made to order for the summer storyhour crowd as well as quiet lapsits under a shady tree.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT