Lorraine: The Girl Who Sang the Storm Away

Musician Secor deftly mines his songwriting talent in this paean to music and family bonds. Lorraine, an African-American girl, joyfully accompanies her harmonica-playing grandfather, Pa Paw, on her penny whistle, “And even when storms hit those Tennessee hills,/ the music they played/ made their worries stand still.” She is tickled when a crow touches down and dances to their tune—and perplexed when both instruments and other shiny objects disappear just before a fierce electrical storm strikes. Pa Paw assuages Lorraine’s fears of weathering the storm without her spirits-lifting whistle, and the two raise their voices in soothing song. Bond (the A Place For series) captures the narrative’s melody and changeable moods in luminous paintings featuring precisely rendered feathers, blades of grass, and emotive facial expressions. Adding a playful note of mystery to the story, whose text incorporates various fonts and type colors, the collaborators refrain from identifying the instrument thief, but keen-eyed kids will catch on. Ages 4–8. Agent: Valerie Borchardt, Georges Borchardt Inc. (Oct.)