CINNAMON, MINT, AND MOTHBALLS
by Ruth Tiller & illustrated by Aki Sogabe
On a visit to their grandmother's farm, two little girls explore the big old house and quiet barn, fall asleep by firelight to the sound of Grandmother singing and wake at dawn to her singing again. In their first children's book, both author and illustrator have gotten it just right—the smells in the pantry, a clawfoot tub, the mysterious dirt-floored cellar, a squeaky cistern pump, sunlight filtering through cracks in the barn, the wariness of half-tame farm cats. Cast entirely in haiku, the text flows into sentences with natural ease. The remarkable illustrations—black cut-paper outlines over luminous colored rice papers—are lovely. Elegantly angular type and antique-white pages enhance the understated artistry of the beautifully integrated design. (Picture book. 4-8)