At twilight and the gloaming hour, two sisters walk home from school, through the park. As they approach the canvas covered carousel, they hear the sound of hoofs and the whinny noises of horses.

As they enter, they discover the horses and menagerie animals are alive. When one sister rides the zebra, the other rides a lovely grey dappled horse and together they fly through the winter sky.

As more carousel animals fly through the night sky, overlooking the park, untethered, the are free!

Remembering their mother, they are mindful of her stories of broken animals. Using her tool kit, the daughters fix what is broken. The reader is left with the sense that the mother of the girls has passed on, and in riding and fixing the animals, their grief turns to joy.

The incredible illustrations of LaMarche combine light and dark and create an atmosphere of magic. ( )

Summary:
The Carousel is a book about two young sisters that go on an adventure on their way home from school. They take the long way home and walk through the park and come across the carousel that used to be bright and lively. The girls remember their mother's love for the carousel and decide to repair the carousel and the horses take them on an adventure. The sisters are happy to see the carousel working again and they return home full of memories of their mother.

Personal Reaction:
This is one of my very favorite books. I found it at the library on the bottom shelf pushed to the back and was drawn by the cover. The pictures in this book are just as magical as the story itself. I loved reading about the horses and it's nice to hear the girls reminisce after losing their mother.

Extension Ideas:
Ask children to share how they remember special people that they have lost. It doesn't have to be family but someone or something that they really love. Hold a classroom discussion and even make a list of things the students come up with.

Have a simple horse template ready for the students to create their own horse in the carousel. Encourage them to be creative and do their very best work. Create a carousel for a bulletin board to display the children's artwork. ( )

This is a magical story about two sisters who fix a broken carousel. The plot and the illustrations remind me a little bit of Chris Van Allsburg's style. ( )