Parade

Very few authors have Donald Crews' ability to make a linear story so interesting and abstract. As in "Sail Away" and many other books, Crews places enough twists and turns into his straightforward story to make it interesting and imaginative. This story, stripped to its essentials, is about people, animals, and machinery parading down a street. There are very few words, and the action is in strict chronological order. Crews turns his genius upon this simple premise, and delivers an extraordinarily clever book. The festivities begin at dawn with a street cleaner lighting a sign that announces there is no parking today because of a parade. Other preparations begin, illustrated by spare drawings. "Buttons, balloons, and flags for sale. Hot dogs, pretzels, ice cream, and soda to buy." Next is a two-page spread with three words ("A crowd. Waiting."), and lines of people on either side of the street; it's a daring move that works because of the illustration. Crews' bold graphic style emphasizing color and shape rather than detail, although he's able to vary the shapes, poses, and attitudes of the crowd. Another two-page spread ("Here it comes!"), and the big, splashy parade begins! We never know exactly what the parade is about (it concerns travel), but as the procession marches past our eyes, we see flags of many nations, a "strutting drum major" followed by wind instruments and percussion, floats (including a ship-a pun on "Crews?"), green and pink baton twirlers, vintage bicycles, autos, and a brand new fire engine. You can feel the crowd's anticipation and excitement-taking pictures, pointing, climbing on parental backs for a better view, and throwing confetti at the fire engine. In yet another winning touch, Crews shows what happens when the parade is over, and the people have scattered: A street cleaner ends the parade just as it had started it. Another superior work by Crews for the toddler crowd, and another triumph for Greenwillow publishing. (This review refers to the "library edition.") Obviously, it's recommended highly!

My 18-month-old daughter loves this book. The simple story builds with just the right amount of aniticipation and the illustrations build right along with it. Great book for a girl or boy.

This is a favorite young kids' book of mine. Kids will find it appealing for its vibrant and bold illustrations, as well as how it creates a sense of expectancy for the excitement of a parade. But there's another reason to admire this book. I love the way Donald Crews gets a message of racial harmony across is such a subtle, matter-of-fact way. He uses bright colors to illustrate the parade, and, alternatively -- just about every shade of skin tone you can imagine for the paraders and spectators. Faces of deep chestnut are right besides those of yellow-tan, joined with pale cream and light mahagony. Nothing about race is stated in the text, but to the perceptive eyes of young children, the beauty of having many parade colors -- and skin colors-- is obvious.