From Publishers Weekly
As in her earlier Grandfather Twilight, Berger has created a picture book dreamscape, full of radiant colors and intriguing possibilities. Alone with her doll in a playhouse, the young narrator receives an unusual visitor who comes calling "in a carriage bright as the sun." The visitor's consort is a lemon-yellow lion who dines on blueberries and cream as the two girls play dolls and paint a rainbow. At day's end, the visitor departs into a glowing sunset, promising to return. Berger's skillful blending of the metaphysical and a child's inner life make this an inspired work of art.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3 While the action can be described in only one sentence (a friend visits a little girl for an afternoon of tea, playing dolls, and painting rainbows), many lines are needed to convey the activity in these boldly-colored illustrations. The warm glow of the yellows of a carriage made from a rose, the lion pulling it, and a dress made from yellow roses achieves luminescence on paper, heightened by the intense greens, reds, and blues of the countryside and playhouse. The yellow changes to rich gold as the sun sets. The variation in picture size, from small close-ups of the dolls to elongated spreads, adds flow to the day's happening and lends a cinematic quality. The combination of vibrant colors, strong composition, and margin motif together frame a sensation, like a daydream visualized. That the friend may be imagined only adds to the book's appeal. As with Berger's previous books, Grandfather Twilight (1984) and Donkey's Dream (1985, both Philomel) , this picture book provides a vivid showcase for a simple story. Julie Cummins, Monroe County Library System, Rochester, N.Y.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.