ROSATA

Camilla comes into the possession of an old hat bedecked with a small bird made of real feathers. She names the bird Rosata and they become inseparable friends. They go to school together, have long talks, and when Camilla's brother Victor is rude to Rosata, stand firm as friends. Then a girl Camilla's age moves in next door; just like that, Camilla has a new inseparable friend. Keller (Geraldine's Baby Brother, 1994, etc.) is so tentative with the double-edged nature of her story that some readers may find the ending abrupt. It's so subtle, and leaves so many things unsaid, that the sudden displacement of Rosata is bewildering, even if she is inanimate. She may be merely a transitional friend for Camilla, but she is plainly dumped when someone better comes along, and Camilla--portrayed as a sensitive, dreamy girl--shows no remorse. The delicate watercolors--soft washes with pen-and-ink edges--underscore the story's poignancy. Wistful, evocative--and perhaps best for sharing.