Ira Says Goodbye - Hardcover

Bernard Waber was the beloved author/illustrator of more than thirty picture books, including Courage, Ira Sleeps Over, and Do You See a Mouse? With the publication of The House on East 88th Street in 1962, his Lyle,  Lyle Crocodile series of books became a mainstay of children's literature. A Literary Landmark plaque commemorating the adventures of this endearing New York City reptile can now be found on East 88th Street and Bernard Waber's artwork is the subject of a traveling retrospective exhibit, curated by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. bernardwaber.com.

PreSchool-Grade 4 Best friends Ira and Reggie, whom readers will remember from Ira Sleeps Over (Houghton, 1972), are backbut not for long. Reggie is moving out of town. With much humor and a clear sense of what is important to children, Waber portrays the range of feelings and emotions that accompanies this move. At first both boys are upset at the prospect, then Reggie gets excited about his expectations of his new town (``In Greendale, all people do is have fun,'' watching a killer shark that snorts and riding the thriller rides in the park), making Ira even more upset, and angry. As Reggie is about to leave, though, he bursts into tears and the two boys reconcile. Later that afternoon Reggie calls from Greendale to invite Ira for a weekend visit. Cheerful full-page and vignette watercolors on large white pages bring Ira's first-person narrative alive with style. Ira's concerns reflect those of any child in a similar situation, but its humor is even more universal, so there should be a wide and responsive audience for this funny and moving book. David Gale, ``School Library Journal''
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.