Follow Me by Tricia Tusa
Posted by: Cindy Dobrez and Lynn Rutan
Cindy: This book has everything I need in a picture book: illustrations by Tricia Tusa and a girl on a swing. I can’t pass up a swing set and neither can my oldest daughter. Follow Me (Harcourt 2011) perfectly captures the magical feel of an afternoon spent swinging to the sky and back. The book’s beautiful pastel etchings start on the end papers, and continue with the delightful scene of the young girl lying amongst the flowers, sock-footed with shoes cast aside, on the title page. From there she journeys on a color-filled flight from her swing seat and we are invited to go along.
Look at me, follow me
into the curl of a breeze.
I am caught
in its folds–around and around and around.
I’ll follow…lead the way.
Lynn: I’m in line too! Tusa’s style is so unique and just right for the dreamy floating feel of this lovely little book. There is lots of action as the little girl swoops and tumbles, floats and twirls through the sky, swinging the reader’s eyes across the page and on to the next. But the mood of the book is serene, contemplative, peaceful and I found myself reading the book in a hushed whispery voice. Pair this with another favorite of ours, Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli and ask the kids to compare and contrast these two swinging books.
