In Fitzpatrick's (I Am I
) allegorical tale, a young traveler with tousled hair questions what it means to grow up. Carrying a large satchel, the eager girl strides down a sidewalk as she asks, “When will I get There?” Her innocent questions take her over hills, through daisy fields and up into rainy skies. The full-page, softly rendered landscapes dwarf the inquisitive narrator, who wants to know, “Will I wear sensible shoes and say sensible things? Will I never say anything silly again?... Will I know all the secrets?” In a clever spread, she wonders about finding her way through a “jungle,” as the facing illustration shows her amid shadowy apartment buildings where wild animals lurk and a stocking on a clothesline is really a snake. Older readers will take heart in her hopefulness and determination to “still build snowmen and sandcastles. Definitely.” In the end, she decides she won't go There today because “I've got lots to do.” Readers of all ages will appreciate this layered tale and feel the poignancy of her decision to cease her questioning and live in the moment. Ages 4–7. (May)
