Barasch (Radio Rescue) gets to the heart of a girl's jumble of feelings regarding her sister's wedding with both humor and honesty. Saddened at the prospect of seeing her older sister (and best friend) Annabel get married and leave home, April does everything she can to sabotage the big day. A series of vignettes shows the girl attempting to plant seeds of doubt in the prospective groom: "Annabel snores every night," she fibs to Harold; "She wets the bed, too" (he reacts with a laugh). She even ties his shoelaces together at the wedding rehearsal. When Harold turns the tables on her, however, April begins to realize she's not losing a sister but gaining a kindred spirit for a brother. In the end, she saves the day when Annabel's ring is accidentally lost during the ceremony. Barasch strikes just the right note in this lighthearted tale, limning the bonds of sisterhood and the bittersweet inevitability of change with poignantly comical strokes. She demonstrates the red-headed sisters' affection with charming details—their penchant for sneaking Mallomars into their bedroom at night, April proudly displaying Annabel at show-and-tell—then exposes April's mounting tension with her response to fashion disasters at the wedding dress store ("You look like a stack of pancakes!" she says). The sprightly watercolors are as airy as a bridal veil. A must for any girl about to walk down the aisle. Ages 4-8. (May)
