Bella's Fall Coat

A girl named Bella, "not as little as she used to be," revels in an autumn day--and in the patchwork coat her grandmother made for her, a coat that's on its last legs. Grams repeatedly suggests that the coat is ready for retirement, but Bella isn't having it, repeatedly dashing outdoors to romp through the leaves, pick apples from trees, and dash alongside migrating geese ("She sneaked and snooped. She honked and whistled. She flapped and flew"). The mutual adoration between Bella and Grams is abundantly evident in the tender exchanges Plourde (Merry Moosey Christmas) puts together, as well as in Gal's (Here Is the World) gauzy, multilayered images, which capture both Bella's near-inexhaustible energy and that of a woodland landscape in flux. Ages 3-5. Illustrator's agency: Morgan Gaynin. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 1--Bella, who wants to keep her too small coat, learns that "nothing lasts forever." Grams wants to discuss replacing her granddaughter's outerwear, but instead, Bella, wearing the coat she loves, "woosh[es]" outdoors to enjoy her favorite season--fall. She romps in the crackling leaves and even brings some indoors when she returns for lunch. That afternoon Bella plucks ripe apples and after supper zooms outside again to flap her arms in imitation of migrating geese. But her too tight coat begins to unravel, and she can no longer avoid talk of replacing it. While the child sleeps, Grams makes her a new one, which Bella happily dons next morning to experience the first day of winter. She even finds a surprise use for her old coat. The mixed-media illustrations feature double-page outdoor scenes drenched in autumn colors of orange, red, and gold. As day fades to night, swaths of purple sweep across the landscape, and, finally, Bella is tucked into bed with remnants of her autumn adventures reflected against blue-black walls and across her pillow. Alert readers will notice Gram's autumn-colored attire and dishes and furniture that match Bella's vibrant outfit. Plourde manages, quite brilliantly, to convey the characteristics of the autumn season simply through the protagonist's enthusiastic exploits. Metaphors for change abound: apples become tarts, geese leave, autumn becomes winter, and a little girl grows bigger. VERDICT Delicious verb pairs such as "twirled and whirled," "crinkled and crackled," and "picked and plucked" and outstanding illustrations make this offering a treat for eye and ear. A first choice for fall units.--Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT