THE MORNING CHAIR

Bram's happy life in Holland consists of eating raw herring by the sea with Papa and snuggling in the morning chair with Mama. Immigrating to America makes him sad; New York City is fast and noisy, and his parents have little time for him. But when the crates with their furniture arrive, and Bram can once again roost with his mother in the morning chair, he realizes that things aren't all that bad. Joosse (The Losers Fight Back, 1994, etc.) demonstrates her calm, compassionate voice and eye for detail, but she does not flesh out her characters, and they end up rather bland. In the absence of any excitement in the plot, readers have little to hold on to. Sewall's light, creamy gouaches—soft colors (butter yellow, plenty of baby blue) with thick black outlines- -resonate with the text, with impressionistic strokes that sometimes give way to mere sketchiness. (Picture book. 5-8)