Fair!

I grew up in Clearfield, the setting for the fair in this book, so I'll admit my bias. However, to cite another source: I bought this book for my nephew, who is 19 months, and this is currently his favorite book to select from the shelf before being read to. The pictures and storyline (sometimes paraphrased) are compelling even to a little boy under the age of 2.

It's criminal that Ted Lewin's "Fair!" has only "limited availability." This book perfectly captures the sights, smells, and sounds of a fair. The NEW YORK TIMES named "Fair!" one of the best illustrated books of 1997, and that's right on the money.Lewin apparently used a fair in Clearfield, Pennsylvania to do his paintings, but truly, this could be a fair anywhere in the United States. We see the roustabouts setting up rides, checking electrical connections, and hoisting enormous, lightbulb-laden ride signs high into the air. Sweat glistens, the sun beats down mercilessly, muscles strain--Lewin captures the physicality of the scene as though he were merely snapping a photograph. We then move on to the 4-H sheds, where youngsters prepare their sheep, cows, pigs, and goats for inspection. The sunlight streams in from outside, lighting the leaves on the trees to a glowing citrus green, and picking up the gleam on the cows' coats. Day moves inexorably into afternoon and then into night, complete with a luminous fireworks display and a walk along the midway. Lewin's painting skill is nothing short of astonishing. These watercolors have all the richness and mood of the fair itself. We are fortunate that he has chosen such a multi-faceted subject with which to bedazzle his readers.