cover image Periwinkle Isn't Paris

Periwinkle Isn't Paris

Marilyn Eisenstein. Tundra Books (NY), $15.95 (24pp) ISBN 978-0-88776-451-6

Newcomer Eisenstein's thin tale centers on Polly, who lives in a town named Periwinkle and is enamored of Paris and all things French. The opening litany of what Polly fancies sets the narrative's plodding tone: ""Polly loves Paris. She loves French fries, French bread, French toast, French pastry, French dressing, French doors, French horns, French harps, and French poodles (and Polly's afraid of dogs)."" In the accompanying circular illustration, Polly's mother hangs laundry on a clothesline while Polly stands alongside with her back to readers; the Periwinkle rooftops rise above the laundry while gray pictures of croissants, cheese, the Concord and the Eiffel tower hover around the illustration in a ring. With labored imagery, the author notes that the sidewalks of Periwinkle are lined with blue flowers of the same name, that the ""Periwinkle sky was a perfect French blue"" and that ""Polly's eyes sparkled like periwinkles."" But Periwinkle isn't Paris--where Polly longs to be. Luckily, when she and her friend set out for the City of Lights, the two get only as far as the end of the local bus line before Polly makes a predictable about-face. St ssi's stylized illustrations awkwardly depict the Parisian skyline in the background of some of the pictures. Like its heroine, this story goes nowhere. Ages 5-8. (Nov.)