Reviews: (by author)

Keats, Ezra Jack. Louie. Illus. Ezra Jack Keats. New York: Penguin Group, 2004. $16.99. ISBN 0-670-03689-7. 32 pp.

Louie is a thought-provoking picturebook about a small boy who is very taken with a puppet he meets in a puppet show. Two of the local neighborhood children, Susie and Roberto, put on a puppet show for their neighbors. During the show Louie, a previously mute boy, begins calling out to the puppet. Susie, playing the puppet Gussie whom Louie is so intrigued by, kindly responds to Louie. Gussie acknowledges Louie by saying hello, and asks Louie "to please sit down, there is lots more to come" of the show. After the play Louie grabs Gussie and hugs her, only returning her to Susie after Roberto explains that Gussie was tired. Louie goes home and dreams that he and Gussie are riding on an ice cream cone. The cone and Gussie disappear and Louie begins to float. He dreams children are surrounding him and teasing him. He wakes up to his mother telling him there is a note asking him to follow a long green string. The dialogue in the book ends here, and as pages are turned Louie follows the string around the block to find Gussie perched on the banister with a sign that says hello. On the last page, Louie is running with arms outstretched in joy to embrace the doll.

There is little description as to the character of Louie, and whether he is actually a mute, or mentally handicapped, or if he is just extremely shy. The kindness shown by Susie and Roberto is inspirational and Louie's strange infatuation with the homemade puppet is accepted and rewarded.

Highly Recommend
Holly Boland, May 2004

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