The pictures then regress to a vantage point that allows readers to review the stages of her upward climb all at once, then return to the playground for a hug and the final word: 'Again!' The repetitive text is ideal for new readers, and the cartoon paintings, though spare, provide plenty of room for imagination.

As an adult pushes a pigtailed girl in a striped sweater and socks on a swing, the child calls out: 'Higher! Higher!' The ride gradually takes her from a giraffe's-eye view, to a mountaintop, to an airplane, and finally high enough to trade high fives with a one-eyed, green alien who floats on her own swing among the stars. PreS-Gr 1-Well-known for her captivating board books, Patricelli brings her simple text and crayon colors to the next age level.

A wonderfully simple book that's simply wonderful for reading aloud.-Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. The acrylic paintings, in which heavy black outlines boldly define shapes and intensify the colors within them, pare down the scenes to focus attention on what is essential to the story. What starts out as a pleasant everyday experience quickly ramps up playfully and imaginatively, taking the child out of this world to another realm, but bringing her back so quickly and safely she can't wait to venture out again. The story ends with one word: Again! Young children hearing the ending will be echoing Again! again and again because this elemental picture book is so satisfying. The dialogue on the next three double-page spreads reads, Hi! Hi! / High five! / Bye! Bye! Then the girl swings back down to earth, back to the park, back to her father's arms.

At each level, someone looks at her in a friendly way as she calls out, Higher! Higher! Finally, she sees an alien child on a swing coming from the opposite direction. |a Boston Globe/Horn Book Picture Book Honor, 2009.*Starred Review* At the playground, a little girl sits on a swing while her father pushes her to greater and greater heights: the treetops, tall buildings, a mountaintop, the clouds, and outer space. How high can it go? Higher than a giraffe? Taller than a mountain? Is Earth the final frontier? The creator of a popular series of board books rises to the occasion with an ingenious picture book of very few words that expresses the giddy glee of being pushed in a swing. The inevitable plea to go 'Higher! Higher!' Add Leslie Patricelli's wildly expressive illustrations, and an everyday pastime reaches new heights of humor and whimsy.

Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli