Paulette's PBPOD is . . .

Looking at Lincoln, by Maira Kalman

Don't you just love the colors? That's one important way that this quiet, complex book hooks you and brings you in--holds you close. There's only warmth in the marble halls pictured here, while Lincoln is bathed in his mysterious melancholy blue. "Who is he?" This child asks. As we all do. Who was this profound man?

She meets him in person . . . . sort of.

 
She imagines the person he was inside . . .

Looking at Lincoln perfectly captures how a child feels when she encounters something truly profound. Maybe for the first time in her life. Maybe this is foreshadows the adult she's slowly becoming. The flamboyance in the art reflects the carefree childhood she still has. The dark colors of Lincoln himself offers a poignant counterpoint of where life can go. The two together gives this picture book lasting depth.

See Lincoln's colors reflected in the tree trunks? It makes me want to hug this book.