Stuck with the Blooz

PreS-Gr 1—A little girl wakes up one weekend morning feeling out of sorts and knows the "Blooz"-big, drippy, lumpy, oozy, and violet blue-has come to visit her. She tries in vain to keep it out of her house-but it just keeps trickling its enormous wet self into her lemonade, chocolate milk, paints, and socks. "What's up, Blooz?" the child finally asks, trying to appease it with glitter Band-Aids, ice pops, and a soft blanket. Stymied and staring at each other, the twosome retreat to the girl's room, where their imaginations kick in with all sorts of fun play ideas. Eventually they head outside for a bike ride, but a bump on the road flips the Blooz high into the sky, where it disappears, leaving the youngster happily alone on "the brightest, bluest day." No adults figure in this allegorical story of a childhood funk, which the youngster bravely recognizes and, to her credit, resolves independently. Digitally painted, the whimsical cartoon illustrations gradually increase in color intensity as the little girl finds her way to a happier state of mind. Children will identify with her feelings in this tale, and it will have value as a springboard for discussing sadness and how to work through it.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT