Upstairs - Hardcover

K-Gr 2-Elbie, the only child in his building, is hoping for a playmate when new tenants move into the apartment above. He grows apprehensive, however, when they exhibit some odd behaviors: banging on the floor, trailing hay to their door, and dropping dirt from the fire escape. When Elbie finally musters the courage to visit, he meets matronly Ethel and her "family": Regina the cow; Piggy the pig; and April, May, June, and Augusta, the hens. He's delighted to assist with the chores, plant corn on the fire escape, and listen to Ethel's humorous farm stories. At the end, the boy is once again excited to discover a vacated apartment soon to be occupied by a family with a circus lion. The story is told through Elbie's eyes, with simple language and some repetitive dialogue. Palmer's colored-pencil illustrations complement the text with exaggerated characters. Some of the spreads, however, present pictures that are oddly askew and often jarringly confusing. All in all, an entertaining but additional tale.-Christina Dorr, Whitehall City Schools, OH

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