IVER AND LUKE AND THE FRIENDS-FOR-OTHERS CLUB

The sixth installment of Delauney’s Owning the Dashpicture book series follows two young brothers who take on household responsibilities.

When Mom falls off her bike and breaks her leg, brothers Luke and Iver make a list of chores they can do while she’s recovering: cleaning, cooking, looking after the family dog. They also aim to help pay some bills by selling brownies. As the days go by, all this work takes its toll on the brothers. They grow fatigued and fall behind at school. One day, they wake to find all the neighborhood kids (portrayed as ethnically diverse, with one girl in a wheelchair) have come to help them complete their to-do list. So successful are these joint efforts, the kids make a pact always to be there for one another. Delauney writes with heart and enthusiasm, but with no clear appreciation of meter, leading to a narrative that contorts itself in search of end rhymes. For example: “As Iver finished reading, they heard the doorbell ring. / Luke rushed to open the front door and jumped back smiling. / ‘Who is it?’ Iver demanded. ‘Who is at the door?’ / Luke gazed back at his brother. ‘Honestly, I’m not sure.’” Textual flow notwithstanding, young readers will likely respond well to the brothers’ good intentions and upbeat approach to family obligations, their bright outlook reflected in Civati’s open, pastel digital illustrations. Plot and picture combine nicely together to convey a sense of community.

A wholesome story about community whose message is more inspiring than its prose.