SOPHIE

Using the relationship between an African-American girl and her grandfather, Fox (Tough Boris, p. 479, etc.) has written a simple tale about the life cycle. When Sophie is born, her Grandpa is young and vibrant and cares for his baby granddaughter. As Sophie grows, she works with Grandpa, stands up to him, and finally surpasses him in strength and skill as he begins to decline. Ultimately, their roles are reversed — Grandpa becomes helpless and is no more, just as Sophie had once been a baby and before that had not existed in Grandpa's life. Sophie is terribly lonely until she herself has a child to fill the void left by Grandpa. Children may be unfamiliar with this very common experience, and those suffering from the loss of a grandparent will find little comfort in the distant eventuality of having a child of their own. The accompanying paintings are brightly colored, grotesque portraits that nonetheless convey a warm family feeling. A story that will appeal more to parents than to the target audience. (Fiction/Picture book. 3-8)