OFF-LIMITS

After their father leaves the room, a young child turns an ordinary home office into a covert playground of joy and wonder.

Despite the sign that clearly marks the home office as “OFF-LIMITS,” a young child seizes the opportunity to explore the space unsupervised. Rationalizing their intrusion as harmless, the curious explorer then sneaks “one little teeny-tiny piece” of tape. This small transgression snowballs until a lamp, stapler, and the child themselves are covered in tape. Moving on, the intrepid decorator discovers paper clips and binder clips. These are linked together to form joyous loops that circle around the child like a choreographed ballet. The pièce de résistance comes with the discovery of small, pastel sticky-notes that create a kaleidoscopic riot of patterns and color. This delightful tale highlights the power of play and the satisfaction of enjoying something forbidden. The simple text gives a sweet, inquisitive voice to the child. The cartoonish style featuring exaggerated facial expressions and body movements reinforces the hyperbolic tone and good-natured humor of the story. Throughout this escapade, there is an underlying tension that the child might get caught as the situation escalates. However, the conclusion shows that pretend play is both empowering and universal. The child has dark brown hair and medium-toned skin; the father has blond hair and light skin.

Timely and familiar, an endlessly charming ode to imagination and enjoying guilty pleasures for the preschool set.