PreSchool-K-"Once there was a rabbit and she had a girl." So begins the story of Emma Bean, made from the "scraps of long-ago dresses" by Molly's grandmother. The two are inseparable, from the child's infancy through Emma accompanying her on the first day of kindergarten, where they find new friends in Sara Louise and her bear Gloria. The text, which gently highlights the events in the pair's relationship, is simple and often rhythmic. The illustrations, from the glowing colors of the Maxfield Parrish-like cover to the intimate picture of Molly in bed whispering in Emma's ear with the shadows of night falling across them, capture readers' attention. The artist plays with light, color, and perspective to enhance the mood of the story. Occasionally there is an awkwardly rendered perspective as in the picture of Molly and her father tossing the bunny, which places viewers on the ceiling looking down, yet most are successful. Each full-page picture, set in a white border surrounded by a thin reddish line, evokes the feeling of an unfolding memoir, like pictures in an album. Kathryn Galbraith's Laura Charlotte (Philomel, 1990) is similar in both tone and in the lushness of the illustrations, although Emma Bean focuses more on the relationship between the child and her toy. A book that will appeal to many children.
Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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