"But when a big cloud covers each one
of our shadows,
I whistle for the wind to whisk
that cloud away ...
and our shadow feet appear
under our legs again."
Do you know any child not intrigued by shadows once they discover their existence? As a little girl waits for her mother, a boy with a basketball watches them from beyond the sunshine. She is delighted to see her shadow; he does not have one. A courier leaves an invitation to attend a lunar eclipse party. Mother and daughter head out to enjoy the day, and run some errands.
As they go, the child continues to notice the many shadows around her: people walking on the street, other children, a dog, the fire hydrant. There is also a shy boy, always in the shadows by himself. He bounces his basketball from his shady spot to her standing in the sunlight. As they continue their walk, she sees more and more shadows in the street, and on the sidewalk. She also loves to play in the shadows cast by trees she is passing. The boy joins them for lunch in the growing shade. Their next stop is at the lunar eclipse party, where many others have gathered to watch the earth cast its shadow over the moon. The walk home in the 'late-night' shadows offers a chance for a happy good night wish. Tomorrow, the adventures can begin once more.
Salini Perera's eye-catching spreads provide a visual feast for readers on every page. There is so much to see, besides the way that light and shadow entice and entertain. The many details draw the eye on every spread, offering a chance for readers to add their thoughts to the city scenes. She keeps the boy always evident, despite his not stepping into the light. The sights along the way are worthy of discussion, and the progression of the coming darkness is just lovely. Readers are left with a sense of a new friendship taking root in the final scene.
A visual rendering of a lunar eclipse brings the book to an end.
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