Delilah D. at the Library (review)

Though her mother won't confirm it, Delilah D. is quite certain she comes from a land far, far away, where the rules are different and she is the Queen. When her French au pair takes Delilah and her little brother to the library, the clash of rules and expectations between this world and Delilah's realm—where cupcakes are served along with the books, quiet is certainly not the custom, and book shelves are for climbing—pushes exasperated Library Anne to wish for an alternate career. Busy, energetic colored pencil illustrations set a friendly stage for Delilah's shenanigans; a full spectrum of jellybean colors of balanced visual weight keep the eye bouncing around the page in pursuit of Delilah's frenetic activities. The grandmotherly library patron, Mrs. Woolly Hat, is an inspired touch as she wistfully supports Delilah's antic vision, while librarians with their hands full in the children's section will find a kindred spirit in Library Anne. Delilah may insist that her country is a tiny island between Jafrica and Smindia, but knowing readers will recognize her as a distant cousin of Pippi Longstocking; her tenacious spinning out of her fantasy will delight young listeners who are absolutely sure of their own status as royal exiles.