WHAT WILL I BE?

In a narrative reminiscent of The Runaway Bunny, a young boy imagines escaping from his mother.

The would-be runaway considers many careers, from train-engine driver to chef, from magician to zookeeper, from doctor to astronaut, but every time that he tells his mother about his new choice, she tells him how she will seek and find him. The text has a regular, pleasing pattern, with key words highlighted in a special typeface and picked out in different colors. In one typical double-page spread, he declares: “Then I will become an explorer and find new animals. I will stay in the deep jungle and you will never find me!” She rejoins: “But when you discover new animals,…they will be named after you. I will hear the name and know where you are!” Readers may focus on these highlighted words, but they are not linked to a glossary. What stands out is the sheer delight that Sameer and his Amma (mother), pictured in a pink sari, exude as they appear in glowingly painted scenes that feature unusual perspectives. Apart from the sari, the bindi on Amma’s forehead and the warm brown faces (which sometimes look like carved wooden dolls), this duo could be from anywhere.

The bold, textured paintings and obvious love shown between parent and child will attract readers and entice them to return.