THE SKY WRITER

There is something that tugs at the heart in this softly illustrated, quietly told story. A sensitive child who is aware of the transience of youth and the passage of time, and who believes in the possibility of magic that manifests itself in toys that speak, may savor this book. A young boy, Charles, and his older sister, both outgrow playing with the tiny figures of a pilot, a soldier and a baker who go for rides in a small single-engine plane. At one time, the toys told the children “wonderful things,” but then “they stopped.” Now, the children need to clear their playroom to make way for a new baby. Old, worn, broken toys are taken to the trash, but Charles dreams about the plane tipping its wings to say goodbye and in the morning rescues plane and figures. Nolan’s quiet, textured illustrations give toys and children enormous personality, beautifully complementing the matter-of-fact narration that gives voice to the playthings. Both combine in an understatement that defies the saccharine but instead honors childish imaginations. (Picture book. 3-8)