Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie by Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka.

Return to the effervescent, colorful world that Juster and Raschka created in their award-winning The Hello, Goodbye Window.  Nanna and Poppy never quite know who is going to show up, Sourpuss or Sweetie Pie.  Their granddaughter can be either one.  At times she is kind, polite, respectful and a joy.  But at other times she is rude, angry, and hurtful.  This picture book looks with clarity and spunk at the temperament of a child and will be familiar to all children, all parents and all grandparents.

Raschka’s illustrations are just as evocative as in the first book.  They remain loose, brightly colored, and perfectly capture the emotions swirling through the book.  The pleasure of returning to these wonderful grandparents and their loving relationship with their creative granddaughter is particularly sweet.  Juster’s words capture the emotions of a small child with ferocity, delight and high contrast.  The book makes a great read aloud and will spark plenty of discussion about feelings and self-control.

If you loved the first book, you will adore this second outing.  This is a book to share with children, who will connect to it effortlessly.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.