In the Back Seat

A girl makes a family car trip bearable for her impatient younger brother by inventing stories for him in DeSaix's ( The Girl Who Swam with Dolphins ; Hillary & the Lions ) latest picture book. Jeffrey is hardly thrilled about sitting in the back seat for a ride out to the country--he's too small even to look out the window. But big sister Ariel points out all the interesting things he can see, and soon after, both children are busy creating an imaginative adventure that lasts until they reach their destination. DeSaix's text captures the essence of a child's storytelling technique. Words come in a rush at the scary or exciting parts; the pitch levels off when Ariel merely adds description. DeSaix's paintings have a sandy texture and creamy palette which combine to set an appropriately wistful backdrop for Ariel's and Jeffrey's fantasies, and several spots of the children looking out the car window are drawn from an interesting perspective as well. One small quibble: no one in the car is wearing a seatbelt. Ages 4-8. (June)