The Horn Book Guide

PRESCHOOL

Stead, Philip C.

Special Delivery

40 pp. | Roaring Brook/Porter | March, 2015 | Trade ISBN 978-1-59643-931-3 $17.99

(2) PS Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. Young Sadie wants to deliver an elephant to her great-aunt. The mailman says, "Find another way," so Sadie borrows an airplane (with questionable results); hires an alligator river guide; and boards a train full of monkey bandits. Loose, sketchy pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor washes create exaggerated energy and expression; the tight text relies on page turns for plot twists. A dynamic read-aloud.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2015