I See a Shadow; by Laura Breen (review)

Breen’s picture book in verse encourages a preschool audience to observe the shadows that tag along with them and stretch across the ground beneath them everywhere a strong light shines. The first objects she examines throw shadows in predictable forms; then shadows lengthen or shorten according to the light’s position; then, delightfully, adjacent objects cast shadow forms of giggleworthy goofiness. Simple black outlined figures and their dense shadows, set against unembellished colored backgrounds, morph to the cadence of equally spare rhymes. A woman walking her dog seems to sprout four legs, while a little beachgoer near an umbrella turns into a tutu-ed ballet dancer(“Shadows can surprise us./ And sometimes look funny./ Best of all are the ones you make/when it’s bright and sunny”). Expect demands for repeat readings of this engaging lapsit title, and try out some hand shadows under the lamplight.