Edward Gets a Pet: 2 - Hardcover

ea. vol: illus. by Sue Porter. unpaged. Dutton. 1988. Tr $8.69. LC number unavailable. PreSchool-K Tributes to children's imaginations, these pleasant books are based on the unique misunderstandings that occur when an adult says something ordinary, but the child envisions something wild and wonderful. In Edward Gets a Pet, Edward's mother comments on every species of animal in the pet store. While she holds a parakeet, Edward sees himself soaring on an eagle. While Mother cradles a kitten, Edward fancies himself pouring milk for a massive tiger. Finally Edward takes home the puppy that has been romping around his feet on almost every page. In Visitors for Edward, the boy slips downstairs after he has been tucked in for the night. He overhears his parents discussing surprise visitors who will arrive in the morning. Edward visualizes the exoticspace travellers, jungle trekkers, weary trampers on a desertbut the real surprise is Grandma and Grandpa. Based on such a simple idea, these books are carried out appropriately. Narration is brief. Sparse but well-chosen dialogue is contained in balloons. Each contrast between the mundane and the imaginative is clear with a glance at the double-page spreads of line drawings filled in with cheerful pastel watercolors. Edward's fantasies are encircled in cloud-like frames. Artwork reveals mood and character. Through a pen stroke or a lively posture, Porter conveys feelings and movement. Ridiculous misunderstandings, comfortable characterizations, and exuberant conclusions make these books enjoyable choices for parents and preschool children to chuckle over together. Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.