SPEAK UP, BLANCHE!
by Emily Arnold McCully & illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully
The little sheep who joins the theatrical troup of bears introduced in Zaza's Big Break (1989) seems like a hopeless case: shy and retiring, she never speaks above a whisper; she's even a flop at collecting props. But when the bears try, tactfully, to send her home, Blanche asserts herself vociferously: she's an artist and can produce sets far superior to their clumsy efforts. Amusing dialogue and theatrical details plus McCully's appealing pictorial characterizations make this a sequel that's sure to please. (Picture book. 4-8)