HIDE-AND-SEEK

Mischievous Little Snail returns, this time to play an unexpectedly sneaky game of hide-and-seek.

In an engaging return for the friends introduced in Time To Go Home (2020), Bear searches the classroom, this time depicted in a cozy color palette of mustard yellow, stone blue, and navy. Bear locates hidden friends from Little Mouse, crouching among a selection of sippy cups, to Little Turtle, whose shell admirably imitates a large leaf. Toddler readers will adore searching alongside Bear, scanning the spare, lino-printed pages to find the subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle clues. What child—or piglet—hasn’t tried the hiding-behind-the-curtains trick? Little Cat’s hiding spot is devilish, but once it’s revealed, little ones will enjoy going back to see what they missed. Eventually, all the friends but Little Snail are found. Brief but evocative dialogue moves the plot right along, and tension builds as the lively animal children giggle. They know what’s up, and suddenly, viewers do too: Little Snail is slyly camouflaged in the decorative spirals of Bear’s chunky blue sweater! It’s an absolute hoot to watch Snail “whoosh” back into the shell just in time, leaving a confused Bear to address readers: “Have YOU seen Little Snail?” Quirky, rounded prints add to the jovial feel and are artistic simplicity at its finest.

Board books this much fun can be hard to find. Make sure to seek it out.