YOU'RE ONLY TWO ONCE

A 2-year-old acts like a typical toddler in this debut picture book that offers a humorous, motivational riff on the phrase “you only live once.”

The narrator, who delivers encouragement like a keynote speaker, begins with the title phrase, which is repeated throughout the tale. As the cheerful toddler—rosy-cheeked and wide-eyed in Arumba’s soft digital cartoons—wakes the dark-skinned father and lighter-skinned mother, the narrator urges: “Start each day by witnessing / the beauty of the sunrise.” Each moment of the day is given another aphorism, moving from only eating food you like at breakfast to trying new tastes at playtime—as a pet’s tail ends up on the toddler’s tongue. The advice is frequently paired with illustrations that belie the positive tone: Speaking one’s mind becomes shouting and throwing things; embracing art is shown as drawing on walls. Despite the misbehavior, the child, who wears a jumper but is never gendered in the text, is surrounded by love. Two-year-olds aren’t likely to recognize the humor in the contrasting text and art, but older readers—especially children with younger siblings—will feel they are in on the joke. Parents may be the most amused of all. Arumba’s art is cheerful throughout and supplies just as much storytelling as Costello’s accessible text. The naughty toddler faces no consequences here; instead, there’s a sense that this mischief, too, shall pass. The repeated title phrase may encourage even the youngest lap readers to chime in.

A comedic hit, especially for older siblings.