Tadeo's Search for Circles

K-Gr 2—In a rural Central American village, Tadeo dreams of finding the perfect circle. Hanging onto the end of his magic rope, he flies through the sky "in and out of clouds," "over mountains and lakes," and "across plains and forests." During his global adventure, he encounters a circle of giraffes on the African savanna, decorative golden spheres in a Turkish bazaar, a spinning Ferris wheel in London, and polar bears curled into furry balls in the Canadian Arctic. However, none of these circles is quite right. Finally, Tadeo finds his way home, landing in his mother's arms. Safe and sound in her embrace, he discovers that "a hug is the most wonderful, perfect circle of all!" The striking collage illustrations, which show each distinctive landscape in deep jewel tones and a variety of interesting textures, enhance the story's sense of adventure. Dressed in khaki shorts and a blue-checked shirt, Tadeo, an appealing child with an innocent and expressive face, stands out as a larger-than-life figure in each imaginatively conceived picture. The endpapers depict a map charting Tadeo's travels. Pair this quirky title with Karen Lynn Williams's Circles of Hope (Eerdmans, 2005).—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA