Rita.

By staff -- Críticas, 11/15/2007

K-Gr 2–Unlike the rest of the butterflies in the tropical forest, young Rita is carefree and daring. Much to her friends’ dismay, she especially enjoys pestering a local herd of elephants by fluttering around them as they bathe in the river. This dangerous game eventually gets Rita into trouble when her wet wings prevent her from flying. To her surprise, it is one of the elephants that eventually comes to her rescue. The dynamic type, which emphasizes certain phrases and words to heighten the drama, pulls readers into the story, and the large watercolor illustrations infuses it with movement and a sense of anticipation. Reminiscent of Matisse’s fauvist period, the artwork stands out for its simplicity and bold use of primary colors. It seems that there are never enough books about butterflies in school libraries, so this is an opportunity to add one that both supports the curriculum and teaches a valuable lesson in life. Recommended for school and public libraries, as well as bookstores.—Betsy Duarte Shepard, Wakefield Middle School, Tucson, AZ