YOU AND ME, ANEMONE

Don’t touch that anemone!

A “lemony…anonymous anemone” has just one demand: “Please, oh, please, / DON’T / BOOP / ME!” The accompanying illustrations show the sea anemone recoiling when a purple fish enthusiastically nuzzles it. The anemone is an avatar for a brown-skinned child who tells readers, “If you ever feel, like me, / that you’d prefer / to stay boop-free / just say these words / assertively— // NO / BOOPING / ME! I / AM / AN ANENOME!” Despite their pleas, both anemone and child delight in community and celebration, dancing along with their peers as everyone respects their need for space. This ingenious story doubles as a scientific portrait of an animal with a fun-sounding name and a lesson on setting boundaries. Vail’s rhythmic, rhyming text has a playfulness to it that will propel readers forward, making it an ideal candidate for a vibrant, educational read-aloud. Raschka’s clever art uses paint and embroidery on burlap to create an expressive world full of textures and colors. A spread featuring the unfortunate “boop” depicts numerous silent sea anemones in visible distress in an explosion of stitching, packing as much punch as the one featuring the child making a vehement exclamation. Backmatter includes an author’s note in which Vail discusses her own (misguided) experiences with anemones as well as information on these fascinating sea creatures.

Don’t boop this book away! Embrace this lively, creative look at asserting one’s boundaries.