CELESTINE, DRAMA QUEEN

Young duckling Celestine has an unswerving faith in the inevitability of her future fame, bolstered by a supportive family. Her parents wholeheartedly foster the idea of her greatness even before her egg cracks, and, somewhat surprisingly, her older brother is remarkably indulgent of his imaginative and prideful sister. The pink-obsessed celebrity-in-her-own-mind, cast in the school play (“There’s an important part for everyone,” says Miss MacDonald), encounters an entirely predictable episode of stage fright but recovers quickly and even manages a small triumph at the end. Ives employs a pleasing pastel palette in her kid-friendly watercolor illustrations, although the overall paleness of the images set against white space makes this perhaps better suited to lap sharing than group storytime. Judiciously playful typography and font changes enhance the story and help lead the eye forward. Still, there are no surprises here, and Celestine’s overweening ego may well lead readers to enjoy her fall from grace rather than to sympathize. Not a necessary purchase. (Picture book. 5-8)