The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Cowley, Joy

The Video Shop Sparrow

32 pp. | Boyds | October, 1999 | Trade ISBN 1-56397-826-1 $$15.95

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gavin Bishop. On New Year's, two brothers see a sparrow trapped inside a store and a sign on the door: "WILL REOPEN JANUARY 13." Neighbors, parents, and police all tell them the sparrow's plight is no big deal, but the two persist and finally get help from the publicity-hungry mayor. Cowley's text realistically captures the kids' alarm and the adults' nonchalance; Bishop's illustrations reflect the story's tension and lack of sentimentality.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander