Sunny

In her solo debut, Krampien (My Family Four Floors Up) presents an uplifting tale about the power of positivity. Trudging to school in the rain, Sunny, the only child smiling in a group, thinks it’s “the perfect day to use her big yellow umbrella.” The girl’s grin grows as the wind lifts the umbrella into the air, carrying her out to sea. In wryly understated prose, the author reasons that “most people would agree” that this “was a very bad sort of situation. But not Sunny, who liked watching the white-capped waves rolling and tumbling over one another.” Plunging toward the ocean after her umbrella inverts, the girl lands in a small dinghy, rationalizing that “she preferred boating just now to swimming.” Just when her optimism finally begins to flag, Sunny—pleasingly literally—gets the lift she needs and, her cheery outlook restored, isn’t at all worried that she’s late for school. Krampien’s minimalist matte illustrations contrast the butterscotch hues of Sunny’s umbrella and slicker with variegated teal tones of sky and sea. A whimsical take on the upside of a rainy day—and a sanguine attitude. Ages 4–8. [em]Agents: Andrea Morrison and Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.) [/em]