CLARA AND ASHA

Asha is a giant fish, originally of the spitting marble-fountain variety, who flies up to Clara’s bedroom window at night when she can’t get to sleep. Asha becomes Clara’s fast friend, even meeting her toys and shrinking up enough one day to splash around with her goldfish. This bedtime story is simple and spare, and Rohmann’s fine, friendly oil paintings range from frolicsome daytime scenes to lush, hypnotic dreamscapes in deep, shadowy blues. It’s the visual details that distinguish this, though. The opening page shows Clara sitting by her pink pig blowing bubbles, and bubbles reappear on the next page as Asha approaches her bedroom window. Bubbles materialize next in the fish bowl where the mini Asha and the goldfish swim, and much, much bigger bubbles later transport Clara through the starry night sky until POP!, she tumbles safely onto Asha’s back. Lest young readers think Asha is Clara’s exclusive imaginary friend, an eager-looking crocodile comes to her window at the end, and Clara thinks, “Can I help if I have so many friends?” (Picture book. 4-8)