PARIS BY PHONE

A telephone transports a girl to her favorite place.

Paris-loving Josephine Harris constantly compares that city to her home—unfavorably. (It’s never explained how Josephine has acquired her enthusiasm for all things French, but it sure is energetic.) Annoyed and on a deadline, Mommy sends Josephine to her room. Incensed, Josephine picks up her phone to call for a replacement parent. After dozing off, she awakens in Paris and is welcomed by Odile, a Frenchwoman who invites Josephine to join her and her son on a city tour; as they go, Odile teaches her French. The adventure includes a visit to an art museum, the ballet, a cafe, and the Eiffel Tower; Odile urges Josephine to remain in Paris permanently. In the end, our heroine decides home is best; she misses Mommy. Trying the phone again at bedtime, Josephine awakens and…voilà! Back home, another international destination teases. This is meant to be lighthearted fare, and it’s narrated in jaunty (though sometimes clunky) verse. Strolling beside the Seine with her companions, Josephine learns that France is “ze nation / zat is always on vacation.” Odile’s stereotypical fake-French accent may strike more than a few as insulting. Quirky, colorful illustrations are expressive; familiar Parisian landscapes are depicted appealingly. The main characters present White, but readers will spot racially diverse boulevardiers in the background. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 48.6% of actual size.)

Traveling via telephone sounds nifty; it doesn't work, though, in this skippable story.