Mad About Plaid

April 1, 2020
Everyone knows about King Midas' golden touch, but what about Madison Pratt's tartan touch? When Madison picks up a plaid purse in the park, "Her fingers tingled. / Her thumbs were hot. / Her arm started twitching and itching a lot. / Then the plaid from the purse crept slowly up her sleeve" and eventually covers all her clothing. Madison even weeps plaid tears at her plaid predicament. Her mother, a nurse, consults How To Cure a Plaid Curse, of course. Madison tries to comply with the remedy, but "a little plaid burp escaped her lips," and giggleworthy cartoon illustrations of plaid houses, cars, trees, poodles, and even squirrels capture the "plaid germ" spreading throughout the town. Madison races to the park to find the purse again so they can "reverse the plaidening curse!" Turning the purse inside out to hide the plaid reveals a "sad shade of blue," which infects Madison, the town, and the illustrations with the blues. But luckily, Madison knows how to "cure the blues": by singing "an extra-silly round of 'Piddly-diddly-doo's," which spreads silliness from place to place. "And as you probably already knew, / with a silly grin on, you CAN'T stay blue!" Readers will pore over the illustrations, which range from typical city scenes to spreads amusingly infected with the "plaid germ" and the blues before returning to normal. Madison and her mother present white, and their community includes individuals with skin tones and hairstyles that suggest diversity. A tartan twist on an old standard with plenty of humor both visual and verbal. (Picture book. 4-7)

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June 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 2-A young girl named Madison Pratt finds a plaid purse in the park. She vows to take care of the purse. After she sings a silly song, the plaid on the purse starts to spread all over her and then begins spread to buildings, stores, animals, and even the sky. As the plaid spreads, everyone begins to panic. Plaid is referred to and treated as if it were a germ. Characters are often depicted with worried and fearful expressions. The illustrations are done in a folk art-style, while the text shifts position and direction, creating a busy look and feel. The plaid not only affects the look of the scenery but also the wording used in the scenes. As billboards, signs, and other text changes to correspond with plaid's takeover, the narrative's rhthmic feel adds a lighter touch to what is essentially a book about mass hysteria. VERDICT The concept of this book may be rather complex for young children to grasp. However, in the era of COVID-19, the book can be used to instill a sense of caution and hope in children when immersed in possibly worrisome and unfamiliar situations.-Deanna Smith, Pender County P.L., NC

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