EMILY LOVES TO BOUNCE

An exuberant child bounds through her day in a style many adults will recognize. With a carefree joie de vivre that cannot possibly be expressed through such sedate movement as walking, young Emily gleefully springs and leaps from one adventure to another. She bounces along enveloped in a whimsical world of blended reality and imagination; she kicks up her heels with a dinosaur, her cat, an elephant, and even her Nana. At one point, the inventive miss contrives to think herself into a blue-spotted dog. King (Where Does Thursday Go, not reviewed, etc.) clearly revels in the joy of language; his rollicking wordplay deftly captures the essence of Emily’s joyfulness. “Sometimes she sleeps, sometimes she eats, but . . . most of the time she bounces . . . Twisting, toppling, singing, skipping, flipping bounces.” The visual impact of this buoyant tale greatly contributes to its appeal. Gaily colored ink-and-watercolor illustrations are bursting with vibrant colors. Emily, attired in a crimson frock adorned with saffron-hued polka dots, complete with lime-and-turquoise–striped leggings, is a veritable whirlwind of color and energy. King infuses his pictures with a drollery that will resonate with young readers as they practically leap off the page. A dazzling blend of waggish humor and quixotic illustrations, this positively sparkles with the sheer buoyancy of Emily’s high spirits. (Picture book. 3-6)