Wish

January 5, 2015
Cordell’s (Rooting for You) intensely personal account of parents awaiting the arrival of a child bubbles over with anticipatory joy. He draws, in his loopy pen-and-ink style, two elephants who live in a house by the ocean. Their new baby sets sail toward them from a tropical island, and they build a boat of their own to meet the baby. At sea, they send forth a beam of rainbow-colored love, but something goes wrong: “We listen.... And we wait... but you never come. And everything stops.” A poignant spread shows the elephants embracing on the deck of their boat under the stars, trunks pressed together in disappointment. While adults can read between the lines (many things can go wrong for couples expecting a child), it’s a moment that may call for some explanation and reassurance for younger readers. At last, though, the baby elephant’s boat arrives in triumph: “You are here.” It’s easy for parents to forget to tell their children how much they longed for them to be born; Cordell provides words and pictures to help. Ages 3–5. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

January 15, 2015
A much-wanted child arrives as fulfillment of his parents' dearest wish.Neither a where-do-babies-come-from book nor one about sibling adjustment to a new baby, this fanciful treatment of parental longing for a baby seems aimed at adults more than children. The text is delivered in direct address to an unnamed "you" who's at first absent from the would-be parents' lives. Perhaps in an attempt to tilt the story toward child-friendliness, the adults in question are an anthropomorphic elephant couple. As they begin to notice others with babies (birds in a nest, another elephant pushing a stroller), they start to wish, plan, learn and build. Pictures eschew crib-assembly or other traditional baby-planning preparations to show the couple building a boat and setting sail, as if for some island cabbage patch where they might find an elephant's child. In a poignant twist, the journey doesn't immediately fulfill their baby wish, and they return home saddened but resilient. When a baby does arrive, suddenly parting the seas like a tiny pachyderm Moses in a sailboat, the parents are thrilled that their baby is "HERE." The metaphorical use of boats and journeying to find a baby could lend itself to interpretations of the story as an adoption narrative, but this isn't clearly indicated. Instead, cartoony art and spare text alike are most concerned with communicating longing and love. Wish fulfilled, if a tad inscrutably. (Picture book. 3-5)

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February 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 3-An elephant couple is content just being together: living by the sea, traveling, and enjoying their closeness. In the back of their minds is the tiny glimmer of a desire for a child, but the two want to share other experiences before having a baby. Once they decide to expand their family, things do not go as planned and they become discouraged as their longed-for child remains a dream. Softly hued watercolor, pen, and ink illustrations are sweet, revealing the cheerfulness of the couple that slowly turns to disappointment and then resignation. Dreams/wishes/prayers are shown in colorful confettilike swirls that diminish in size as their hopes continue to remain unfulfilled and then explode like a sunburst at the satisfying conclusion, showing a baby elephant arriving via boat to the couple after a tumultous storm. The open-ended nature of the text and illustrations make this picture book useful as a general parent-child read-aloud or as a gentle entree into the subject of adoption. VERDICT The heartache and delight revealed in this charming tale will resonate with parents who have experienced similar circumstances.-Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2015
Preschool-G This deceptively simple picture book packs an emotional wallop. A very content, very compatible elephant couple quietly go about their lives, planning and building, but come to realize something is missing: We think of you. They determine that they are ready for change, so they start making preparations for a new arrival. But you never come. And everything stops. Simple declarative sentences continue the narrative, as the elephant couple patiently wait. Happily, a baby finally arrives with a earth-shaking rumble and a roar of joy and contentment. The soft watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations complement the wistful, quiet tone. Young audiences will appreciate this confirmation of parental love and being part of a family, while older siblings will likely pick up on feelings of impatience or anticipation when preparing for the arrival of new family members. Not many picture books address the challenges of childbearing, and this may resonate for families with older parents or those who struggled to have children. Readers of all ages will appreciate the combined messages of affirmation, hope, and reassurance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)