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Read All About It: Rollicking, rhyming tale of friendship, fun

Brandy Hilboldt Allport
For the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union USA TODAY NETWORK
"Now What?" by Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco

"Now What?"

Author: Brenda Faatz

Illustrator: Peter Trimarco

Notable Kids Publishing, $17.95; ages 5 to 8

Lizzy amuses herself by playing with one of those paddles that has a ball attached to it with an elastic string: the ultimate solo toy. (Well, Lizzy’s dog watches faithfully, so she is not totally alone.) When the ball veers wildly out of control, it’s the end of a ceramic piggy bank. Lizzy asks readers the titular question for the first time, now what, as she sweeps up the pieces. Time for a distraction. Readers get it as they watch Lizzy delve into the music closet and emerge with all manner of instruments. The word play in the text ratchets up at this point, too. “How about something that’s rockin’ or jazzy? Or snazzy pizazzy? Or … straight up fantazzy?”

Tired from her exertions, Lizzy lies on the floor with the inevitable, now what? It’s a game of fetch with her dog, until they become distracted by a box full of kittens on a nearby lawn. While she’s finding them all their forever homes and simultaneously peddling lemonade, a moving van arrives in the neighborhood. Lizzy investigates, “A little bit nervous with tummy a-flutter, Lizzy peeked over some boxes and clutter. ‘What do I see? Are you kidding me? It’s a person my size! What a happy surprise.’”

And that is how Lizzy and Luna forge their friendship. Soon, they get into the boxes of Luna’s belongings and before you can say snazzy pizazzy, the duo is blowing bubbles, spinning tops, playing hopscotch and making shake-a-shake, rat-a-tat, clickety-clack, slap, tap-tap music. Note the dog on bongos in the illustration. Everybody, now!

After the jam session, Lizzy asks her familiar, now what? It turns out, empty boxes make the best pretend spaceship ever. With a bit of chalk and paint and a crayon touch-up or two, they are ready for a galactic journey. That is until Lizzy’s dog leaps into the fun and crushes the cardboard flying machine. Now what?

It’s enough to say that with the combination of imagination, new-found friendship and boundless energy, Lizzy and Luna offer the ultimate lesson in how to always know what comes next and how to never, ever become bored. Author Brenda Faatz has a degree in musical theater and is a professional actor, dancer, and director. Her enthusiasm infuses each word of this rollicking, rhyming story, and the illustrations rendered by her husband, Peter Trimarco, add to the fun, dizzying pace of it all. Trust “Now What?” to provide inspiration on any ordinary afternoon when young readers might wonder how to keep themselves entertained.

Brandy Hilboldt Allport writes Read All About It, a children’s book review column for The Florida Times-Union. She can be reached at brandyallport@outlook.com.