Sol de los amigos

Gr 2—5—A bird and a dog roam together throughout the seasons and encounter a variety of other creatures. As they commune in harmony and friendship, they sing about their experiences. The poetic story's unifying force-the sun-nourishes all living things. The reverent and celebratory tone of the writing is reminiscent of indigenous peoples' sun and earth worship. The complex imagery calls to mind Latin American vanguard poetry, such as works by Chilean Vicente Huidobro. Wernicke's fanciful double-page illustrations capture the characters as they wander through natural landscapes. While children are sure to be charmed by the joyous artwork, they are apt to be frustrated by the ambiguous free verse, which contains rich metaphors and symbols and may be too complicated for most young readers. A lovely book with a limited audience.—Gisela Norat, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA