Gwendolyn and the light

"In a night forest by the sea,/ the moon had the stars,/ the trees had the breeze,/ but Gwendolyn was all alone." Via loose, generously stroked paintings filled with organic life forms, Weber (The Wind and the Clover) shows the book's big-eyed, lumpy yellow protagonist in a tree. A star-bright glow that Gwendolyn notices one morning, warm and splendid, seems to offer the creature the friendship that she desires, and she sets off in a boat, "a biscuit in tow," to see if she can reach the elusive light. As she goes, she counts the stars, soon joined by a comradely sea bird with a blue head and an incessant numerical cry ("Twee!"). In dreamy, lilting lines, Yoon (Waiting for Tomorrow) conveys the protagonist's path to realizing that the bird, not the light, is the friend she seeks. The creators show rather than tell as a great storm rolls up, depicted with swirls and bursts of foam, and Gwendolyn loses track of the bird. The joy she feels upon encountering it again tells her what she needs to know in a work that illuminates the difference between admiration and companionship. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Oct.)

Seeking friendship, a nocturnal animal sets out in a rowboat, following a bright light in the sky. "In a night forest by the sea, the moon had the stars, the trees had the breeze, but Gwendolyn was all alone." Gwendolyn, a big-eyed, yellow teddy bear--like creature, asks what it's like to have a friend. As stylized blue-tinted trees sway against a lavender night sky, more poetic prose ensues: "As bright as all the stars," the moon responds. "As warm as a summer breeze," the trees reply. One evening, Gwendolyn awakens earlier than usual and sees a light that little ones may realize is the sun. She attempts to greet this new friend, but the light begins to fade. As she sets off in her little white rowboat, the sky turns purple with the sunset; Gwendolyn counts the stars as she attempts to reach this potential friend. After she gets to two, a bird shows up. Gwendolyn misinterprets its chirps ("Twee!") as an attempt to say the number three--a bit of age-appropriate preschool humor that recurs throughout. Gwendolyn shares a biscuit with the bird, endures a storm, and, after it subsides, tearfully tries to reunite with her new pal. Yoon's dreamy, lulling text is matched by Weber's textural, otherworldly art; readers will feel Gwendolyn's sorrows and triumphs right alongside her. A superior experience for nap or bedtime.(Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.