The Roller Coaster Kid

K-Gr 2—Pleasant pencil-and-watercolor illustrations contribute a comforting aesthetic to this well-intentioned tale of a boy who yearns to cheer up his roller-coaster-loving grandfather after the death of his beloved grandmother. Facing his fear of roller coasters in the hopes that a spin on the Whipper will tug Grandpa out of his blue mood, the boy discovers that admitting to his feeling of loss and discussing his grandmother helps them both more than any ride-induced adrenaline rush. A few of the images capture the thrill and sense of movement that should fill a book set in a seaside amusement park, but most of the agreeable and charmingly detailed illustrations feel sweetly static. Rodman manages a light touch while conveying a valuable message about expressing emotion and coping with grief. Neither the text nor the illustrations bring the story hurtling off the page, but the words and the visuals exude a gentle nostalgia that accomplishes an approachable look at death and sadness.—Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY