The only words in La La La, are just that. A young girl sings to herself. At times the words seem a simple, strong vocal, and at other times a gentle, exploratory conversation with no one in particular.
As the girl walks, skips and runs at home and through nature, she seems to be searching for something. Perhaps a friend?
As day turns to night, the girl continues to wander and sing. Can anybody hear her?
The seed of this story by Kate DiCamillo was the idea of two circles -- a small circle and a big circle -- and a connection between them.
Illustrator Jaime Kim took Kate's idea and has created a beautiful visual. The story moves from quite bare pages (sparsely illustrated with light shadows and a few leaves), through pages featuring splashes of orange and brown (trees with autumn leaves), to pages full of deep purples (the night sky) and yellows (the large, full moon).
La La La is longer than the average picture book, and it is a story of hope. You can feel and see the emotion as the story progresses, and readers will likely find their own meaning in the story, making it a unique and personal experience.
La La La: A Story of Hope is a special book, bound to make you feel good, and will probably have you singing out loud yourself: La, la, la!
Click here for our guest post with Kate DiCamillo and Jaime Kim.
Title: La La La: A Story of Hope
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator: Jaime Kim
Publisher: Walker Books, $19.99
Publication Date: October 2017
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781406378009
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture book
