Layla, Queen of Hearts (review)

In this follow-up to The Naming of Tishkin Silk (BCCB 12/09), Australian author Millard turns her attention from young Griffin Silk to his best friend, third-grader Layla Elliott. Senior Citizens' Day is fast approaching at St. Benedict's Primary School and Layla has no one to invite. Griffin is happy to share his delightful grandmother, Nell, but Layla, missing her own nana, who passed away a year ago, wants to take someone who will come just for her. Nell introduces the children to Miss Amelie, who is kind and interesting but who, it is clear, suffers from some kind of dementia; the unstoppable Layla decides that Miss Amelie is the very person to take to Senior Citizens' Day, and the two form a bond that lasts through Miss Amelie's worsening health and to her death. Once again, Millard carves out a safe, quiet space for children to gently explore grief, this time not only the grief that surrounds the death of a loved one but also that which results from witnessing a descent into incurable illness. Millard's writing is lyrical yet simple enough for her young audience to grasp; Layla and the warm and slightly eccentric Silk family are extremely likable characters, and there will be many readers who will want to move to "the Kingdom of Silk," as the family's home is called. Barton's monochromatic illustrations (about one full-page picture per chapter) are, like the text, homey and slightly whimsical, with soft washes of varying grays accented with inky, scratchy lines. This would be particularly useful as a classroom or family readaloud, but it would also be a good choice for children who enjoy a quiet, thoughtful, and yet charming read.