STRINGBEAN'S TRIP TO THE SHINING SEA

Using a series of postcards supplemented by pages from a family photo album, the Williamses take us on a journey with a boy (7 or 8?), his adult brother, Fred, and the family dog, from their home in Kansas to the Pacific. Stringbean writes home every day; Fred adds comments. What begins for the reader as fascination with reading someone else's mail quickly expands into empathy for these nice brothers, who are good friends and companions, although Stringbean sometimes gets a little homesick and they also get on each other's nerves. (Stringbean talks a lot and thinks Fred is too interested in historical sites.) The details are delightful—the Williamses have devised whole series of illustrated postcards, complete with captions and special stamps, giving a taste of wildlife, landscape and history (including family history) en route. Besides the journey, the series is tied together by the brothers' search for a circus that once shared their campground (they want to return a clown's lost shoe), and by the strong family feeling subtly suggested on every page. This is a curiosity, but a charming one, just right to pore over with a favorite person—it takes a while to discover all those delicious details.