Dress-up day

Gómez (Bird House) captures the joys and sorrows of primary school, illustrating with friendly, doll-like characters. A class costume party creates waves of happy anticipation: "Mom made me a fantastic rabbit costume, and I helped." Working in flat collaged shapes with varied textures and crisp edges, Gómez shows a light brown--skinned child standing on a stool in a white bunny costume as their mother tacks on the tail. But on the day of the party, the unthinkable happens: "I woke up sick. So I had to stay home." Why not wear the costume the next day, the child's mother suggests. Though the protagonist is excited to "hop to school," the costume reveal doesn't go as planned upon arrival: a spread shows the small, round, puzzled, potentially mocking faces of the child's schoolmates, who vary in ability and skin tone. But the unexpected appearance of another costume changes things, and the chance occurrence works its magic on the whole class. There's an emotional change on almost every page of this picture book as Gómez presents the possibility that moments of chagrin don't last forever, and that disasters can morph into delight. Ages 4--8. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Mar.)

PreS-K--This delightful picture book captures the ups and downs of preschool life through the eyes of one girl. The nameless, tan-skinned narrator is excited to wear the rabbit costume her mom made her for dress-up day at school. But when illness forces the girl to stay home, her mom suggests she wear the costume the next day instead. This seems like a great idea, until the other kids make fun of her. Then Hugo shows up in his carrot costume--he was sick, too! The two have so much fun that the others join in, and the next day, a whole bunch of kids show up in costume. The concise, first-person text perfectly captures the little girl's voice. The paper collage and digital illustrations are done in a naive style, depicting a diverse group of children with round heads, dot eyes, and colorfully dressed bodies. Despite working in deceptively simple forms, Gómez effectively portrays the narrator's emotions through body language and facial expressions, enhancing and expanding the text. VERDICT This lovely little book celebrates one child's experience in a welcoming, diverse environment and will speak to a broad audience.--Amy Lilien-Harper