Flora and the Peacocks (Flora)

PreS-Gr 1--The star of two previous showstoppers, Flora returns in another inventive, deceptively simple title. Here, Flora meets not one but two birds--a pair of peacocks who inspire dancing, drama, and, finally, reconciliation and friendship. Both vibrant and spare, Idle's artwork once again dazzles as it tells a layered story without a single word.

Flora dances on in her elegant third picture book, following the Caldecott Honor-winning Flora and the Flamingo and its sequel, Flora and the Penguin. Working in a green-and-turquoise color scheme, Idle wordlessly traces Flora's encounter with two peacocks, whose outstretched tails echo the semicircular shape of the fan Flora holds as she dances. One peacock takes to Flora and the other feels left out; glued-in flaps help move the story forward while amplifying the emotional tug-of-war. One broken fan later, a massive foldout brings the story to a moving finale in which kindness and compromise win the day. Ages 3-5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (May)