Read Me a Story, Stella

After a four-year hiatus, Gay's redheaded heroine returns in a subdued summer adventure. As in previous installments, younger brother Sam has plenty of questions for his sister, and Stella has answers at the ready. "Do you think a wolf could blow Fred's doghouse down?" Sam asks after they build a cozy, ramshackle structure. "A tornado couldn't blow this house down," Stella replies. The story is somewhat episodic, with no real emotional highs or lows, as the siblings visit a pond, fly a kite, spend time in a garden, and look at the clouds; along the way, Stella's ample supply of books informs their conversations. Ages 2-5. (Aug.)

K-Gr 3--Stella and her little brother, Sam, return for another outing. This time they spend the day gliding from one activity to another with their trusty dog, Fred. They go from building a doghouse to a picnic by the pond to watering the garden to enjoying the rising of the Moon to a bedtime story. The one constant is Stella's reading and her allusions to well-known stories, including "The Three Little Pigs" and "Stone Soup." Gay's mainly watercolor illustrations perfectly capture a lazy summer day. She sneaks in lots of detail without being fussy, gets facial expressions just right, and really brings her text to life. There are no surprises compared to her previous "Stella and Sam" books, and that's a good thing. This low-key story of sibling love, nature, fun activities, subtle humor, and reading is a winner on all fronts.--Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH