SHINE

When Jimmy is cast as a shining star in the school Nativity play, all he can think of is whether his busy, apparently single electrician dad will be able to attend. The big night finally arrives, and readers see simultaneous views of Jimmy putting on his costume while his father makes emergency repairs to the bulbs on the city Christmas tree, the minutes ticking by on the face of a clock tower in the background. Tender cartoonlike watercolors interpret the result literally: Dad's face really does "shin[e] like a light out of the crowd, smiling at [Jimmy]." Hectic parents may find this tale as reassuring as their offspring. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)