From Publishers Weekly
Here comes the brideAand her younger sister, the flower girl, who offers a glimpse of what it's like to prepare for and participate in a family wedding. From trying on wedding gowns, to tasting the food that will be served at the reception and looking at party spaces, the young African-American narrator sees it all. Now Sister and Jamal's big day is here. The flower girl alternates between happiness and sadness: she's glad to be taking part in the joyous celebration, yet sorry to see her older sister leave home. Johnson's (Toning the Sweep) poetic language effectively captures the emotional roller-coaster that weddings set in motion, as seen from a kid's point of view. But her verb tenses may befuddle readers, who will wonder if the narrator is imagining the proceedings or has already experienced the event, and some of the more lyrical phrasing adds to the confusion ("I will dance with Jamal there,/ who will take Sister from me/ and us/ and here-/ but leave them together"). Soman (When I Am Old with You) judiciously accents his cut-paper collage illustrations with pencil, which allows him to vary the sharpness of detail and to zoom in on certain characters in each scene. His wide array of cut papers brings a spectrum of color, texture and pattern to the warm proceedings here. Though the development of events zigzags, the story's emotional through line keeps the book on course. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Through the eyes of young Daisy, readers experience and anticipate the preparations for her sister's wedding-"Long dresses, flowers, wrapped boxes, and tissue-paper rooms-with everybody saying 'Congratulations.'" The simple text follows Daisy and her family as they celebrate and then say a tearful good-bye to Sister. The last page shows the whole family looking at the wedding photos. As in other books by these collaborators, such as When I Am Old With You (1990), One of Three (1991), and Tell Me a Story, Mama (1989, all Orchard), the illustrations portray a warm, loving African-American family. The distinguished collage artwork conveys the action and the whole range of emotions that the day entails. Both text and illustrations work together to create a seamless experience that is happy, sad, and tender all at once. A perfect book for preparing for that special day.
Joan Zaleski, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NYCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
