PAMELA'S FIRST MUSICAL

Playwright Wasserstein's first book for children pays homage to the theatre and all the people involved, in this tribute to another age, when the musical was king. Pamela spends her ninth birthday with Aunt Louise—cut from the same cloth as Auntie Mame—who whirls her into New York City for lunch at the Russian Tea Room and a matinee performance of a 17 Tony Awardwinning musical created by some of her closest friends- -producers, choreographers, designers, actors, songwriters, etc. Pamela avidly follows the plot of the musical, tries to memorize the songs, meets the participants during intermission and after the show, and recreates the whole show in her room later that night. Wasserstein captures the thrill of attending a live performance, but the entire venture will seem rather remote and rarefied to all but a special few. Jackness's illustrations are really fun; bright, swashbuckling colors swirl across the sets, puns and visual jokes fill the pages, and the musical's plot is delightfully silly—as most musicals are. Okay, so not all readers get to live at the Plaza with Eloise, either—this isn't a smash hit, but it is worth a visit. (Picture book. 5-10)