KNOCK! KNOCK!

A cozily surreal meditation from a noted Swedish author/illustrator. “A little house beneath the tree. / Who lives inside? / Let’s go and see!” A path leads up to the blue front door of a small red house, all painted in broad, childlike strokes. Upon the turn of the page, readers see black-on-white text on the left—“This door is blue. / What should we do? / KNOCK! KNOCK! / Anyone home?”—while the right is taken up entirely by the blue door, handle on the right inviting readers to “open” it, revealing a full-bleed, double-page spread of “Baby banging on the drum” and “Ducky wading in the tub.” On the far side of the room (the walls of which match the blue of the door that opened onto it), readers see a red door, and the pattern is set. Onomatopoeia combines with the rhythmic verse to make this read-aloud one that children will quickly learn on their own; the progression of doors and rooms, each with its own quirky inhabitants, makes for a reductio-ad–not-quite-absurdum domestic exploration readers will find enchanting. (Picture book. 2-5)