Jamaica Louise James

Amy Hest is the one with the COOL idea...her seven-going-on-eight-year-old Jamaica Louise James is sassy and hip, "lacing up the details this way and that" about how she came to have her name on a plaque above a New York city subway station. Author Hest uses lively, fast-paced prose to create the voice of a big girl in the Big Apple, who uses her big idea and birthday gift to create a beautiful surprise for her grandmother that benefits the entire city. Young artist Jamaica adds color to the lives of commuters by decorating the station with artwork she has painted based on stories her token-taking Grammy tells about folks on the subway. Sampton skillfully makes use of mixed media and bright colors, creating a collage effect with paints for main characters and city scenes, moving from crayons to watercolors for young artist Jamaica's works. Subtle details of the story are built upon in the pictures--passengers we learn about on one page recognize themselves in the background of another illustration--which allow sharp-eyed readers to enjoy these delightful discoveries. Simple enough to be enjoyed independently by Jamaica's peers, the interplay between words and art are best appreciated when Jamaica is allowed to tell her tale aloud.