The Paperboy

PreS-2—A lovely, meditative book about a child who rises before the sun, loads up his delivery bag, and sets off on his appointed rounds with his dog by his side. The spare text sets the scene and offers just the right amount of detail. "All the world is asleep except for the paperboy and his dog. And this is the time when they are the happiest." The luminous acrylic and India ink artwork is evocative in its lighting and soft-focus rounded shapes. There is an overall sense of peace and calm and the contentment in a job well done, and the boy and his pup crawl back into his bed, which is still warm. Pilkey (yes, that Pilkey), the creator of the zany "Captain Underpants" and "Ricky Ricotta" books (both Scholastic), has written and illustrated more than 50 books for children. The Paperboy was a Caldecott Honor winner in 1997 and definitely established his painterly chops. Be sure to look for his illustrations in Richard Blanco's poem/picture book One Today (Little, Brown, 2015).—Luann Toth, School Library Journal