cover image ON MY WAY TO BUY EGGS

ON MY WAY TO BUY EGGS

Chih-Yuan Chen, Zhiyuan Chen, . . Kane/Miller, $15.95 (36pp) ISBN 978-1-929132-49-2

In the age of malls and Wal-Marts, a Taiwanese girl's blithesome errand feels like a joyful celebration of childhood. Young Shau-yu relishes the simple pleasures of her walk. She "follows the cat's shadow. He's walking on the roof." In the artwork, Chen depicts their shadows aligned on the sidewalk. He honors this unassuming tale with a homey, natural look composed of line drawings and cut, corrugated paper, and adheres to a central palette of olive, gray and brown tones. So when the heroine gazes through a blue marble, and Chen transforms the spread into an azure-colored environment, readers see what she sees: "The world becomes a blue ocean world. 'I am a little fish, swimming in the big, blue sea.' (Shau-yu means 'little fish.')" Shau-yu stepping on falling leaves sounds like "people eating crunchy cookies." And when she dons a pair of glasses she finds, the shopkeeper plays along ("And maybe your little girl, Shau-yu, would like some chewing gum?") After a series of these small, gem-like moments, Shau-yu returns with the eggs her smiling father has requested, telling him, "Hello! I've had such a busy day." Chen's streamlined, blocky style keeps the focus on the human interactions and emotions, rather than the setting. With gentle humor, this timeless tale demonstrates how children largely live in—and appreciate—the moment. Ages 3-6. (Sept.)