Return of the Shadows (A Laura Geringer Book). This item is unavailable.Return of the Shadows (A Laura Geringer Book)

Mimi's shadow gathers together all the other shadows in the world, and they all run free, around the world, until they find that they miss their homes. By the late author of As I Was Crossing Boston Harbor.

PreSchool-Grade 2-- Shadows and their imagined relationships with their host shapes are the ingenious theme of this posthumously published fable from a prolific poet. The shadow of Mimi, a sleeping young girl, begins the revolt, hissing, ``Psst! Let's run free!'' As the others respond to liberation's call, confusion reigns; a rhinoceros's shadow leans against the Washington Monument, a palm tree's shadow keeps pace with a jogger. Farber's spare yet highly descriptive prose produces such vivid images of these innocent pranks that the accompanying illustrations would be redundant if not for Baruffi's carefully restrained humor in his interpretation of the fanciful tale. With architectural precision and subdued palette, he captures the capricious nature of the wayward forms, and readers can almost sense the inky silhouettes' delight in attaching themselves to incongruous objects. Equally amusing are the expressions on the unwary targets' faces and the sheer silliness of some of the combinations. The novelty of the unknown fades for the shadows, and after one long night, they seek the comfort of their origins. Younger children will be reassured by the subtle message that it is possible to stray or explore and return with no harm, and older children will enjoy the outrageous couplings. From Stevenson's classic My Shadow , illustrated by Ted Rand (Putnam, 1990), to Margaret Mahy's The Boy with Two Shadows (Lippincott, 1988), to James Barrie's Peter Pan , this subject holds a magical appeal for children. A welcome new slant on an intriguing phenomenon.
-: Dorothy F. Houlihan, formerly at White Plains Public Library, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.