Mad About Plaid - Hardcover

PreSchool-Grade 2-A madcap romp through a textile-filled landscape. Young Madison Pratt's adventure begins when she finds a lonely plaid purse left in the park. After picking it up, she is infected with a kind of plaid virus comparable to the heroine's dilemma in David Shannon's A Bad Case of Stripes (Blue Sky, 1998). Even after she drops the purse, the bold red plaid spreads everywhere on her body until she is even shedding plaid tears. Her mother, who is a nurse, diagnoses the "Plaid Curse" and attempts futilely to control the contagion. Soon the entire town is covered in all types of plaid. This catastrophe spurs Madison to action and she retrieves the purse in the park where she promptly turns it inside out. The sad, blue shade of its lining alters the protagonist and her surroundings from plaid to the expected melancholy tone. However, the situation is soon made right when the resourceful girl sings a silly tune sure to "cure the blues." Reminiscent of the work of Maira Kalman, the illustrations reflect the humor and whimsy of the playful rhyming text. The slightly retro-looking characters, buildings, and artifacts are placed against plaid and other colorful backgrounds. Innovative and delightful, this tale may just cause a new fashion sensation.
Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
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