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While reading Beyond Mulberry Glen, I delighted in the illustrations from Astrid Sheckles and wanted to enjoy more of her work. When I saw that Waxwing Books was publishing a new picture book by Sheckles, I knew that I was in for a treat. Flora and the Jazzers is another winner from Waxwing Books with its lovely storytelling and lush illustrations.
Flora is a music-loving scullerymaid who loves to sing. When her favorite jazz band comes to stay at the hotel where she works, the band has a problem that becomes Flora’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Flora’s soulful voice wins not only the day but also our hearts in this Jazz Age rags-to-riches story.
The story itself is charming and appropriately predictable. Young readers will anticipate what is going to happen and be delighted when it does. It is well told and worth the read.
What makes this book a treasure, however, is the illustration. Using watercolor that has been enhanced with gouache, each illustration is a world unto itself. The watercolor is soft and storybook-like, but the details and accents that Scheckles uses to finish the scene give the image depth and intrigue. I have been drawn to revisit each page again and again, each time getting lost in the pictures, always noticing something new and interesting.
My favorite part of this book, however, is the dollhouse style spread. In my childhood, I remember having two books with this kind of illustration, and I remember spending long afternoons studying the scenes, imagining the stories happening in them, and wishing that I could step into them. To this day, when I walk past houses or go into a hotel, I remember those scenes and I wonder what is happening “inside” those scenes. I am certain that children will pore over this spread again and again.