In her debut picture book, author and artist Emily Kate Moon gets the voice of her five-year-old heroine just right.
First, Joone introduces herself. She can count to 100 and wears only her orange dress. Next, she describes her Grandpa, who can count to 1,000. "He used to be a scientist," Joone explains, "Now he's just my grandpa." Moon depicts a warm household with quirky details. They live in a yurt with a curving bar for the kitchen, plenty of books, and an area rug and cozy chair by a wood-burning stove. She conveys Joone's energy with the girl's lean into the chess table and a kicked-out left leg. Joone's turtle, Dr. Chin, is always on hand, often at rest on her purple hat. No mention is made of parents; it's just Joone with Grandpa and Dr. Chin, and their daily routine. Their close relationship comes through in Joone's recounting of their exchanges, as when Grandpa takes pleasure in the multicolored feathers decorating Joone's treehouse ("Joone, I don't know where you find the energy," says he; "Grandpa, I don't know either!" she replies).
Moon's simple phrases reflect a childlike rhythm and sense of fairness. "If I'm good, I get dessert," the heroine says, in a twilight scene with evidence of a dinner al fresco. At bedtime, Joone reads him a story. "If he's good, I read him two." The deceptively simple artwork conveys myriad details about Joone's routine and her close relationship with Grandpa. Here's hoping for much more from this talented newcomer. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness