ONCE UPON A SATURDAY
by Leslie Lammle and illustrated by Leslie Lammle
A little girl awakens brimming with weekend plans only to be thwarted by her chore list. Contemplating her looming responsibilities with a disgruntlement only a youngster facing tedious tasks can muster, the girl quickly makes a keen discovery. In the spirit of Mary Poppins, she realizes a clever application of imagination can start her soaring through her to-do list. Lammle offers readers an ingenious peek at life from a child’s inventive perspective. She deftly conveys this in her watercolor illustrations, with alternating panels depicting both humdrum reality and June’s flights of fancy. Readers will agree—unsavory oatmeal at breakfast that suddenly morphs into a reclining reptile lurking below the surface is infinitely more fun to dispatch than plain old porridge. June sports a pink frock and flight helmet with goggles; there’s no doubt that she can take on just about anything that gets in her way, with style. While the concept is not new, this sprightly tale underscores the importance of approaching life’s less-than-thrilling necessities with good humor. (Picture book. 5-8)