Flora and the Penguin (Flora)

Idle reprises the structure and format of her Caldecott Honor-winning Flora and the Flamingo in this wordless wintry companion, which is every bit as graceful a performance for both Flora and her creator. A thick sheet of ice serves as the canvas for Flora's skating performance with a penguin that has climbed up onto the ice; a cutaway view of the pale blue-violet water below shows a school of fish doing a dance of their own. Small glued-in flaps help create a sense of movement, and also explore the brief rift that forms between Flora and the penguin after the bird dives back below the ice in pursuit of a fish. Once again, Idle's elegantly drafted scenes couldn't be more polished, and the foldout sequence that brings this dance to a close feels like a real triumph. Ages 3-5. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Sept.)

PreS-K--Idle's bold and balletic Flora is back in another wordless adventure, this time infused with icy blue, to skate with a penguin. The simple story is told entirely in pictures--featuring only a few colors on a white background--that are eloquent and irresistible. As in Flora and the Flamingo (Chronicle, 2013), small page flaps advance the story and establish the relationship between the two well-defined characters. There a simple conflict and a satisfying resolution, made more dramatic with a glorious gatefold. Preschoolers will enjoy narrating the action while they flip through the pages of this beautiful book.--Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY