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UP by Jim LaMarche

UP

by Jim LaMarche & illustrated by Jim LaMarche

Pub Date: Sept. 1st, 2006
ISBN: 0-8118-4445-5
Publisher: Chronicle Books

A boy discovers that he has telekinetic powers. Young Daniel is anxious to help his Dad and older brother Michael on their fishing boat, the Toni Marie, but they think he’s too young; they even call him Mouse. Sulking in the kitchen, Daniel stares so intensely at a cracker that it begins to rise off the table. Excited, Daniel begins secretly to practice, with a toy boat in the bathtub, a beach rock, a paper airplane. His big chance to prove himself comes when a whale is washed ashore. A half dozen men, including Dad and Michael, try unsuccessfully to budge it. Daniel looks deep into the whale’s eye, closes his own eyes to concentrate and, after several seconds, the whale slowly rises, swishes his tail and swims away. Everybody cheers; do they notice what Daniel has done? Dad tells Daniel he better get to bed early, because the Toni Marie leaves at dawn. LaMarche’s lovely warm illustrations, in acrylic washes and colored pencil, match his gentle fantasy. (Picture book. 5-10)