The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Spinelli, Eileen

Heat Wave

32 pp. | Harcourt | July, 2007 | Trade ISBN 978-0-15-216779-0 $16.00

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Residents of Lumberville try to beat the heat in ways that are surprising and amusing. The story gathers momentum as the temperature rises, climaxing in a late-night community get-together. Lewin uses ink and watercolors dominated by blues, purples, and oranges to depict the blisteringly muggy setting. She outdoes herself in the final spread: what look like actual water droplets splatter her illustrations.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2007