Periwinkle Smith and the Faraway Star

In her second adventure, Periwinkle, a mashup of Pippi Longstocking and a manga character (she sports a blue bob, oversize hair bow, and the “twirly, whirly tutu” of the previous book), loves to look through her golden telescope. When Periwinkle notices a lonely star one night, she tries several ways to deliver a message of cheer (sending a letter via bird, attaching a picture to a balloon), but they “didn’t reach the faraway star.” An inventive solution finally gets her message across. Periwinkle’s cutesy-punk appearance contrasts with her lightly textured pastel environs, emphasizing her gently iconoclastic nature. Ages 6–8. (May)