Isabella: Girl on the Go

January 15, 2012
The impetuous Isabella returns (My Name Is Not Isabella, 2010), offering readers a whirlwind tour of the globe. A leisurely day of helping her father with yard work becomes a glorious adventure for the pint-sized explorer. Fosberry's tale unfolds as an afternoon-long conversation between father and child. With each request Isabella's father makes for her assistance with a project, the imaginative tot saucily explains why she couldn't possibly help. Isabella's sandbox play soon becomes the work of an aspiring archeologist searching for lost tombs, while her tree fort becomes a Mayan temple, perfect for observing the constellations. Isabella's father eagerly participates in his daughter's whimsical game. His wry responses to Isabella's grandiose proclamations are sprinkled with droll humor that will entertain readers both young and old. Fosberry adeptly captures children's endearing ability to re-imagine their world through creative play. Litwin's vivacious illustrations convey Isabella's endless capacity for invention. His color-laden pictures illuminate Isabella's imaginings, artfully transforming a commonplace landscape into the wonders of the world. Informative end pages contain pictures and descriptions of the places featured in the text. Isabella's characteristic ingenuity blossoms in this creative tale that encourages readers to give their imaginations free rein. (Picture book. 4-8)

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March 1, 2012

K-Gr 2-As Isabella and her father spend the day together, she imagines herself in various careers and locales throughout the world. She's an archaeologist in Egypt, an artist in Paris, a warrior in China, an astronomer in Mexico, the queen in England, and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. At the end of the day she claims to have "discovered the most wonderful place." That place is home. The locales are not identified as Isabella imagines visiting them; instead, they are listed at the end with small photos. The illustrations show the girl with an oversize head and purple hair. Her stuffed mouse appears in every scene, always appropriately dressed for the place and occasion. In Egypt, its head appears as the top of the Great Sphinx. Although the people and places are depicted as cartoons, it is easy for adults to recognize the sites. A pleasant enough journey with a satisfying ending.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

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