Trixie Ten by Sarah Massini (review)

Trixie TEN, a scribbly-haired, fuchsia thumbprint of a girl, is the youngest of ten very noisy siblings. The constant commotion wears on Trixie, and she finally decides to hit the road in search of a bit of peace and quiet. A nearby stream proves too lively, though, as it is filled with a family of ten "babbling fish," and a meadow is likewise too busy, inhabited by one hundred rabbit siblings. When she finally does find "a big, empty, quiet place," the silence and solitude are so unfamiliar that she soon finds herself wishing for her siblings. Upon her return home, "It is just as noisy as usual. 'But that's the way we are,' thinks Trixie. And she drifts happily off to sleep." While the plot is predictable, the need for peaceful alone time will resonate with quieter kids from large families or with those overwhelmed by noisy classrooms. Trixie, her siblings, and the fish and rabbits are all crafted from colorful fingerprints with simple dots and straight and squiggly lines for facial features, hair, and appendages. The digital illustrations are stylish, and the jelly-bean-esque figures show up well against clear white or mostly neutral-toned backgrounds. Kids will enjoy the "I could do that" element of the fingerprint-based art, and, in fact, this title would be a great excuse to haul out the Ed Emberley fingerprint books and some ink pads for a DIY art session.