FICTION

The One And Only Dylan St. Claire

by Kamen Edwards (text) & illus. by Jeffrey Ebbeler
Doubleday. May 2020. 32p. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781984893468.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2–When self-proclaimed star Dylan St. Claire is cast as a squirrel in his school’s outer space play, he is very disappointed about his perceived rejection. A shy classmate convinces Dylan that the squirrel (an astronaut) is a very important role in the production, and from there on out he embraces it wholeheartedly. In this debut, Edwards presents Dylan as a zippy, clever character who is endearing and has a flair for the dramatic. Ebbeler’s acrylic full spreads are bright and colorful, and include a diverse cast of characters. In the end, Dylan makes the role of the squirrel his own and his uniqueness is celebrated in the closing line. Perhaps there’s another lesson in the fact that he steals the spotlight from his less outgoing friends who were given more coveted roles.
VERDICT A pleasant story for outgoing children and natural born scene-stealers, though educators may want to point out that everyone deserves the opportunity to shine.
Reviewed by Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA , May 01, 2020

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