Isabella

April 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-Isabella, an imaginative, little purple-haired girl, discovers that reading is an adventurous and magical journey when her parents take her to the library, which turns into a whimsical dreamland of classic children's literary scenes. Isabella envisions herself as the flying Peter Pan, the suspicious Goldilocks, the daring Captain Nemo, the beautiful Black Beauty, and the fanciful Alice in Wonderland. Her just-as-curious stuffed mouse appears in every scene, always accordingly dressed. After her visit to the mythical land of Oz, Isabella follows the yellow brick road back to reality-the checkout desk. Summaries for and interesting facts about the tales mentioned are appended. Colorful mixed-media art fills each spread, enough to tell the animated read-aloud on its own. The dreamy, vivid illustrations are similar to murals in many children's departments in public libraries. Storytellers will appreciate the introductions to the classics as Isabella discovers that all it takes is a library card and an imagination to soar through timeless tales.-Krista Welz, The North Bergen Public Library, NJ

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.