Mister Whistler

PreS-Gr 1—Young movers and shakers will find a kindred spirit in Mister Whistler. He always has a song in his head, a dance coursing through his body, and a difficult time concentrating on anything else. A telephone call from Great-Aunt Lydia awakens him from a tangled-in-sheets, toe-tapping reverie; he dresses quickly in response to her request regarding window washing. Giggles will ensue when Whistler appears in long polka-dotted boxers and dons checkered pants, a striped shirt, a wildly patterned "waistcoat," and a long fur-trimmed coat before heading to the train station. Bishop's illustrations evoke an old-world feel, and his strong diagonal lines, busy patterns, and constantly changing positions create a convincing sense of energy as the protagonist jives to the flowing musical notes in every scene. Mistress of the appropriate rhythm for every narrative arc, Mahy picks up the pace as Whistler hustles to the station: "Am I neatly dressed? Yes! Neat as a pin. Have I got my ticket? Yes! It's here in my hand. Do I have a nice clean freshly ironed handkerchief? Let me check." She punctuates paragraphs with shorter phrases as he anxiously undresses (much to the amusement of the gathering passengers) to search for his ticket. Children will enjoy being in on its whereabouts and may guess at a solution the first-and second-time he needs one. Pair this with other favorite dance books, e.g., George Ancona's Let's Dance (HarperCollins, 1998), and then get up and boogie. The Locomotion, anyone?—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library