The Chandeliers

PreS-Gr 1—The plot is a bit slim in this story about a family of performing giraffes. It opens with an introduction to the Chandeliers, outlining who they are and what they're known for, not unlike the brief descriptions of actors found in theater programs. Readers are then abruptly dropped into the story of their performance. It becomes clear a few pages into the story that one character who was not in the introduction keeps appearing-"Little Rufus Chandelier was not big enough to perform in the show..." but he ends up saving the day in every instance. Each spread consists of a few simple sentences stating what's happening in that particular scene. The illustrations are bright and colorful with the giraffes having specific characteristics, making them easily distinguishable from one another, but the spreads don't seem to connect together to form one coherent tale. There are far better books that tell children in a humorous and relatable way about being the youngest and finding one's own place in a vibrant family.—Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL