Angel and the Paper Trail

An anonymous note leads a quiet new kid to a whole crew of pals. When pale-skinned, blond-haired Angel musters his courage and asks taller classmate Oliver to help retrieve a library book from a high shelf, a note falls out of the book’s pages. Wondering who wrote the heart- and sun-adorned message, which wishes its reader a “bright and sweet” day, Oliver and Angel join forces and play detective. They start with Oliver’s buddy Rose, whose handwriting resembles the note’s. Rose isn’t the author but suggests checking with Bea, who loves to draw the sun. In turn, Bea suggests asking Miles, who “dots his ‘I’s’ with hearts. It’s his specialty.” Each query enlarges the enthusiastic circle of sleuths, and when the note is blown away, Angel proposes a way for the new friends to pay its power forward. Horne’s illustrations home in on a welcoming schoolyard populated with expressive, kind students of varying skin tones. Good cheer, teamwork, and empathy propel this story likely to echo with readers needing a confidence boost. Ages 6–10. (July)