Chloe (review)

Chloe the bunny (the object of Henry's infatuation in Henry in Love, BCCB 3/10) has ten older siblings and ten younger siblings, and her favorite time of day is "family fun time." She's therefore disappointed when her father brings home a TV and all the little bunnies gather around it rather than play together. When she and her baby sister leave the TV to go exploring, they discover a swath of bubble wrap in the TV box, and soon all the bunnies are happily hanging out in the TV box and popping bubble wrap together. Popping notwithstanding, the tone of the story is quiet and understated, while Chloe is an appealingly determined heroine. Listeners will appreciate both her frustration over the shifting family dynamic and her resolve to find an equally entertaining alternative. McCarty's distinct illustrative style features finely detailed colored-ink characters set against large cream-colored backdrops. While brown shading dominates, simple splashes of pattern and open blocks of color offer visual contrast. TV-focused young people may not understand Chloe's stance, but no one can deny the appeal in the simple satisfaction of her alternative activity—as her brother says, "I wish we could pop bubbles and smash boxes every night." Who doesn't?