Big Birthday

February 15, 2012
Annabelle's wish for an out-of-this-world birthday party crash-lands in Hosford's spirited, if slightly off-meter, book. What works are the whimsical illustrations. Clifton-Brown depicts Annabelle, her expressive, freckled face, with an ethereal glow that is at once childlike and celestial. Hosford does a fine job demonstrating Annabelle's determination to host a celebration that surpasses past parties at the zoo. However, constant shifts in meter are as jarring as a NASA warning: Reader, we have a problem. Annebelle says, "My birthday is soon. It's practically here. / I think I'll have my party on the moon this year," her words tilting in the meter of "Habenara" from Carmen. But later when the narrator declares, "They hired out an astronaut, experienced and smart, / Who rented them a rocket ship, guaranteed to start. [...] / They shot into space with gravity pulling on everyone's face," the tempo misfires like opera at a rodeo. Readers will relate to Annabelle's birthday-bash struggle, and they will find the textural illustrations invigorating. But the clunky rhyme scheme frustrates repeat readings. While the illustrations maintain a harmonious duet with the story, the language stalls instead of soars. (Picture book. 5-8)

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April 1, 2012

K-Gr 2-Annabelle is back, and she is tired of having her birthday at the zoo. This year she wants something completely different, so she begs to have a party on the Moon. After some initial hesitation, her parents hire an astronaut and rent a rocket ship, and the partygoers are on their way. But things do not go quite as Annabelle imagined. Her friends get bored on the long trip as their games are too hard to play in zero gravity. Once on the Moon, the hungry guests can't eat the cake because of their helmets, and it gets covered in moondust. After opening her presents, Annabelle tries on her favorite gift, a dress, but it rips going over her spacesuit. "'My birthday, ' she cried, 'has become a big mess. I'm not having fun and neither are my guests!'" As they head home, Annabelle envisions next year's party-a trip to the backyard in a homemade purple pirate ship. Clifton-Brown's use of color, texture, shadow, and spot-on facial expressions with a bit of mixed-media collage thrown in is a delightful partner to the text. Varying fonts and text placement within the illustrations add a nice touch to the story. Hosford's rhyming text is fun to read, and kids will enjoy hearing about a great idea gone wrong.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

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