Cherry Blossom and Paper Planes

Quiet, polished gouache-and-pen spreads of cherry orchards and winding European streets soften the story of dear friends Dina and Adin (“They grow like twin cherries/ from the same stem”), who are forced to say goodbye to each other. Adin’s mother, who has been picking fruit on Dina’s family’s farm, decides to move to the city, and Dina and Adin’s days together (“They drew on each other’s cheeks with cherry juice”) come to an end. Adin has brown skin and Dina’s is white, a difference reflected in illustrations by Dutch artist Loo (On the Spot), but not the text. The two remain friends, and find impish ways to continue their project of planting cherry pits in cracks and crevices everywhere, with astonishing (and not quite credible) results. Belgian writer Aerts sets his story about deep friendship, gracefully translated by Lawson, against a backdrop of natural beauty. The age of the main characters and their sophistication (“Self-picked and self-spat out,” Dina says about the cherry pits she gives to Adin) may appeal to readers on the upper end of the stated age range. Ages 4–8. [em](Jan.) [/em]