There are three components to Troy Howell’s 2016 picture book Lizabeth Lou Got a Rock in Her Shoe: fun with language, the illustrations, and the story.
The fun with language is very real. There’s alliteration like “Lizabeth Lou,” there’s creative word choice like “a cricket’s canoe,” and, of course, there’s rhyme, like Lou/shoe/canoe.
The illustrations are rare and striking. Kathryn Carr cuts paper silhouettes, arranges them in dioramas, and lights them from behind. The result is unlike other children’s books, and creates both a dreaminess and a sense of depth.
The story itself is the only weakness here: it isn’t bad, but it seems to be an excuse for the rhymes and images.
Kids will love the sound and look of this.
