Mooshka, A Quilt Story

“Mooshka” is the name that Karla has for her beloved patchwork quilt. Whenever she needs comforting, she touches one of the patches and imagines that it tells her a story of her family. “When your mother was just your age, she thought she could fly,” says the red patch. “She made me into a cape and jumped out of the cherry tree.” But even Mooshka can’t comfort Karla when a new baby sister arrives—until Karla realizes that, as a big sister, the stories and the gifts of a storyteller reside within her. Drawing on the vibrant colors, tableau compositions, and cheery graphic motifs of pan-European folk art, illustrator Paschkis (Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People), making her debut as an author, elevates her story beyond a familiar tale of displacement anxiety. The elaborately rendered graphic elements and borders aren’t just for aesthetics; attentive readers will note that they act as a kind of emotional barometer for Karla, vanishing when she feels threatened and returning once she willingly steps into her role as a wise older sibling. Ages 4–8. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (Mar.)