From the high-spirited first spread (depicting the wedding of narrator Cynthia's mother, Inky, and Harry "the shoe store man"), it's evident that this engaging book will take no getting used to at all. But Harry is an other issue. Dancing with Harry and Inky during the wedding celebration, Cynthia is ready to agree when the affable fellow gleefully declares, "Isn't love the berries!" But after he and Inky "toodle-ooed off to the mountains" on their honeymoon, Cynthia decides, "Love is the pits." And when they return, Cynthia finds Harry's omnipresence overwhelming: "Harry is coming out of our ears," she confides to her grandmother. As expected, the magnanimous Harry and Cynthia eventually bond (during a walk outdoors one night when she can't sleep), bringing Best's (Taxi! Taxi!) funny, heartwarming tale to a reassuring close. Palmisciano (illustrator of the Jenny Archer books) contributes ebullient, motion-filled art that, like the text, keenly and wittily targets kids' emotions. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?This story beautifully explores a touchy topic?getting used to a new stepparent. Cynthia and Harry get along well, but it is difficult for Cynthia to share her mother. Barefoot ballet, peppermint shampoos for Pansy the dog, and giant ice-cream sundaes have given way to Harry's dancing, Harry's sneezing at Pansy, and Harry's gourmet cooking. Cynthia and Harry finally get to know one another and better understand each other's habits after a nighttime flashlight walk around the neighborhood. Mom also makes more time for Cynthia in the end, reviving barefoot ballet and those visits to the ice-cream parlor. Palmisciano's illustrations are comfortable, warm, and comical, breathing life into the characters. Use this picture book with family units to show the problems and solutions that often arise in conjunction with remarriage.?Lisa Marie Gangemi, Sousa Elementary School, Port Washington, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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