Bobo's Smile

PreS-Gr 2—From the cover of this book, children can see that something is definitely wrong with Bobo's smile. It's been erased right off his face. In very brief sentences, the clown tells about his life in the circus. He loves entertaining the crowds—in the first pages, his smile is wide and welcoming. Then the circus closes, and Bobo has to find something else to do to make himself happy. He tries many things, including traveling the world visiting new cities, mountain climbing, and elephant riding, but nothing works. He finally returns to the city, where he is overwhelmed by the traffic and noises. When it seems his smile will never return, something unexpected happens. The text is purposefully simple, and it would be fun for new readers to tackle as the vocabulary is easy without seeming leveled. Chwast's illustrative choices are also simple. There are spacious, colored backgrounds, with little detail to distract from Bobo's sadness. No matter where he is on the page, he is always the focus, yet Chwast is also able to depict his experiences throughout his journey with just a few spare lines. Readers will be glued to Bobo's face throughout the story, hoping to see his smile return.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ