Mad About Plaid

PreS-Gr 2–A young girl named Madison Pratt finds a plaid purse in the park. She vows to take care of the purse. After she sings a silly song, the plaid on the purse starts to spread all over her and then begins spread to buildings, stores, animals, and even the sky. As the plaid spreads, everyone begins to panic. Plaid is referred to and treated as if it were a germ. Characters are often depicted with worried and fearful expressions. The illustrations are done in a folk art–style, while the text shifts position and direction, creating a busy look and feel. The plaid not only affects the look of the scenery but also the wording used in the scenes. As billboards, signs, and other text changes to correspond with plaid’s takeover, the narrative’s rhthmic feel adds a lighter touch to what is essentially a book about mass hysteria.