LUCKY JAKE

Young Jake is, indeed, lucky. While panning for gold with Pa, Jake comes by a runty pig named Dog. After Dog sniffs out seed corn that Jake plants and tends, the father and son acquire a nanny goat and kid, all sorts of mining paraphernalia, a restaurant—and a home. The patterned cadence of the prose befits this folkloric gold-rush yarn. Zahares places the rhythmic words in panels that run alongside distinctive compositions that glow with a variety of rich, deep colors. With unusual perspectives and a strong grasp of light and shadow, the stylized spreads take a surrealistic spin that is warmed and animated by soft, sculptured forms that contrast with thick lines and repeated objects: Dog’s pointy ears look like crop shoots, clouds resemble leaves, waves are twins to swirling chimney smoke. While the illustrations stumble ever so slightly in their narrative quality, they are always mesmerizing. A treasure. (Picture book. 5-8)