SOMEONE SAYS

Freely brushed human and animal figures seem to dance across the unpainted backgrounds in this energetic tribute to imaginative play. Responding to anonymous suggestions, warmly dressed young children leap into school like frogs, make up new songs rather than sing the usual ones, draw a classmate as a prancing horse, work together to build a house from blocks, imagine themselves as birds and tigers, and then finally saunter home to dream further dreams for the next day. Inspired by Chinese motifs and a particular style of Chinese art, Morgan gives both the young folk and the looming, sketchier animal or other forms they conjure up an Asian cast—but children of any culture will understand and respond enthusiastically to the creative impulse expressed with such infectious energy here. (Picture book. 6-8)