Hide and seek

An opening spread invites readers into this winning picture book's setting: a lush meadow where, as the pages turn, four friends—a bear, a raccoon, a bunny, and a brown-skinned child wearing orange boots—play a spirited round of hide and seek. Noakes (The Very Long Sleep) pitches the story to a preschool crowd with minimal phrases that invite children to look, point, and giggle: "Are you up here? Are you down here? Phew! I can smell you!" But the fun is in the tension between what the words say and the pictures show. The illustrations, layered with varied textures, fold in their own hide-and-seek game: a wolf, seen at first as a set of ominous gray ears, follows the oblivious friends, offering gently shivery suspense. (Spoiler: it just wants to join the fun.) The page turns are well paced, and Noakes adds further interest with intriguing perspectives, as in a spread that shows the friends in their reflections in water and in the story's bookend scenes, which follow the meadow as it shifts from foggy morning to glowing sunset. While this title may not break new ground, it's a study in how to design a beautiful book with a young child's sensibilities firmly in mind. Ages 2–6. (May) Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly.

PreS-K—In a lush meadow, a small girl plays hide-and-seek with a bear, a raccoon, and a rabbit. As she counts to 10, her animal friends scamper for cover among the abundant blooms. While the child searches for the creatures in the tall grass, peeks under a little bridge, and checks a hole in a tree, a wolf creeps closer and closer to the quartet, with seemingly nefarious intentions. Frustrated that everyone keeps moving around, the girl demands to take a turn at hiding. When the friends can't find her, they notice and accuse the wolf. All is well when the little scamp reveals herself hanging upside down from the tree. The final wordless spread shows five friends walking through the sunset meadow holding hands (and paws). Though told in short simple sentences, the narrative is enlivened by Noakes's expansive illustrations, featuring verdant landscapes, cuddly playful animals, and a spunky heroine. Readers will enjoy spotting the hidden animals even while the child fails to find them. VERDICT A delightful sunny tale with the mildest bit of suspense and a satisfying resolution, a welcome addition to most collections.—Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University Copyright 2019 School Library Journal.

A group of friends wanders out into the meadow to play a game of hide-and-seek on a beautiful summer’s afternoon. Children will delight in spotting the hidden creatures on each page as the little girl tries to find them. A charming, richly illustrated book, with a gentle hint of suspense and a satisfying twist at the end.

A group of friends wanders out into the meadow to play a game of hide-and-seek on a beautiful summer’s afternoon. Children will delight in spotting the hidden creatures on each page as the little girl tries to find them. But it’s not always clear who is hunting whom, or who is actually playing. A charming, richly illustrated book, with a gentle hint of suspense and a satisfying twist at the end.