A delightful quartet: Go and Get with Rex, Not My Cat, Summer Is Here, Ursula Upside Down

Go and Get with Rex, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, written David LaRochelle, published by Candlewick, ISBN: 9781536222067.

I sometimes say that preschool storytime can feel like one big game of peek-a-boo. Surprising young participants with a skillfully handled plot twist and page turn adds joyful fuel to an interactive program. Many of the very best children’s books creators understand this. And this esteemed list includes Mike Wohnoutka and David LaRochelle, who continuously create fun romps packed with the element of surprise. The hilarious Go and Get with Rex emerges as a prime example of this. After all, critters and creatures pop out of boxes. The premise is seemingly simple: the omnipresent narrator instructs three characters (two children, one pooch) to run off and find something beginning with a certain letter. Wohnoutka loves showing them zooming away and then joyfully returning with their finds. Look at those facial expressions! When they return, we readers see what they bring back. The humans have followed the rules, proudly showing off some adorable animal beginning with the letter. The dog seems to have misunderstood. But wait a second…that’s not the case at all. LaRochelle plays with and upends the rules of the game in the most wonderful of ways. Bright, colorful, bouncy and possessing a big finish.

Not My Cat, illustrated by Acamy Schleikorn, written by Stacey Patton, published by A Denene Millner Book (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), ISBN: 9781665927963.

Many people have had the experience of a stray cat (repeatedly) popping up in the yard or by a front/back door. And these felines often have a sense of mystery around them. Where do they go at night? Do they visit others? Patton does a beautiful job showing how the recurring visits of a wandering feline throws some drama into her otherwise peaceful life. Staceypants pretty much wants to be left alone to paint, do chores and keep her abode mess-free. The creature she names Not My Cat brings messes and causes chaos. But as the effective narrative arc demonstrates, Staceypants cannot help but develop a fondness for the furry gray unwanted house guest. Illustrator Schleikorn does a lovely job capturing the growing bond between the two. Warm glances, moments of humorous connection (love the images of them sunning themselves and taking selfies together). And there is some real drama when Not My Cat disappears for a while. The storytime groups I read this to loved happy ending.

Summer Is Here, illustrated by Bea Jackson, written by Renée Watson, published by Bloomsbury, ISBN: 9781547605866.

This joyous book celebrates what makes summer so special. When the child (the first person narrator) says “I wish summer would say,” the reader cannot help but share her enthusiasm for the sunniest of seasons. Jackson’s vibrant illustrations, with their warm yellows, greens, and blues, show a girl experiencing one perfect summer day. Eating yummy ice cream, tossing colorful water balloons, blowing gigantic bubbles, floating in a pool, visiting with loved ones at a family picnic. Each image bursts with happiness and energy. Watson’s poetic prose quietly dazzles; there is not a wasted word. “Summer brings me a dance./Two jump ropes leap and move/and tap, tap, tap on the pavement./I plunge in and with every turn of the ropes,/I show off my moves.” (Quick aside: if you want to read a great 2024 book of poems for older elementary/middle and high school students, check out Watson’s powerful Black Girl You Atlas, illustrated by the great Ekua Holmes). Summer Is Here is a storytime must.

Ursula Upside Down, illustrated and written by Corey R. Tabor, published by Balzer + Bray (an imprint of HarperCollins), ISBN: 9780063275560.

With the inventive catfish comedy Ursula Upside Down, Tabor continues to play around with picture book conventions and perspective, just as he did in his kingfisher-starring Caldecott honor title Mel Fell (a modern classic) and the terrific Aesop-inspired Simon and the Better Bone. The reader have to hold those books vertically for maximum effect. Right from the first moment he introduces this upside-down fish, Tabor starts teasing the reader’s brain. Each spread feels topsy-turvy and discombobulating because of Ursula’s upside-down nature. Halfway through instructions appear to turn and flip the book to put Ursula right-side up, and hilarity ensues, with poor Ursula’s world going all awry. Based on a real catfish species living in the Congo River basin in Africa, this title ends on a satisfying and hopeful note: Ursula learns to love herself just the way she is. Another Tabor winner.