Good-bye, Curtis

From School Library Journal PreSchool-K?An unexciting premise?the mailman's last day before retirement?is the basis of this cheerful story and lively illustrations. On his last round, Curtis, beloved by all of his patrons, from babies to grandparents, finds little gifts in their mailboxes and is greeted by an affectionate throng at the very last house, where a party is being given in his honor. In his 42 years of carrying letters, the man has seen many changes in the neighborhood, which become the most interesting part of the story. The text is simple, pleasantly repetitive, rhythmic, and reads aloud well. The gouache pictures, done in pure, bright colors, are flat, cartoonlike, humorous, and winning, as they show the variety of residents, pets, dwellings, and businesses of Curtis's postal domain.?Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VACopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From