“Her birthday dress was red and it shimmered slightly when she walked.”
Wait, what? Are you really reviewing a children’s book? Heck yes I am! Because I am convinced it is one of the greatest love stories ever written.
Austin gets a new neighbor – Amy, but yuck, she’s a girl. Austin knows he isn’t supposed to like girls, but he can’t seem to keep himself from trying to get her to notice him. He goes to great lengths including dressing up as Impossible Man and building a life size sculpture of an apatosaurus out of popsicle sticks in her yard. When Amy’s birthday arrives, Austin knows he has to find the perfect present. Can he bring her the moon?
This book is impossibly adorable. Every word is perfection. It won a Governor General’s Award for good reason. I love how Austin notices that Amy’s shoes have little bows on them or that her sweater has horses on it. All of us would be lucky to find an Austin. Marie-Louise Gay’s illustrations bring the story to life in the most delightful way. If you have a young, budding romance lover in your life, this book would be an excellent gift. Or just buy it for yourself – you deserve it.
