Amelia's Celebration

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

Amelia decides to join her parents in the garden for her mother’s
birthday celebration. She dances and falls asleep under the stars. When
the guests are gone and Amelia’s empty bed is discovered, Amelia and
her parents are eventually reunited on the patio. They promise that she
will be included in the next party.

Young children will identify with this story, since they often wish to
be included in their parents’ entertaining. The fluid, dreamlike
quality of Marton’s acrylic paintings captures the mood of a happy
summer evening and a little girl who would like to be a grownup.

Marton is the Toronto-based author and illustrator of three other books
for young children. Her new book would be a good choice for young
readers—aged 3 to 6—anxious to participate in adult occasions.