WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA, MOLLY?

Molly the mouse does not have an idea for her poem. Soon friends arrive needing help with another idea—for Turtle’s birthday present. When Rabbit decides to draw a flower, Goose, Frog and Pig want to do that, too. Molly knows something different must be done: “We need to think.” Off goes each friend, energetically drawn in ink with a muted palette of watercolor and gouache, to run, swim, fish, snooze and think. Included on each of those spreads is a rounded vignette with Molly musing in a bright-red dress. When the friends return with another, but once again identical, idea, Molly is struck with a solution. Busy teamwork is the answer, and they “drew and painted and glued and stapled until it was finished.” It is a gift made from the friends’ art coupled with Molly’s accompanying poems. Aiming right at preschoolers, Gorbachev deftly illustrates the frustrations and rewards of the creative process. Equally appealing for storytimes or one-on-one sharing—adding Molly to the bookshelf is a good idea. (Picture book. 3-6)