Hours before the sun comes up, a young boy and his father get ready for the new day by the light of a bare bulb. They quietly make their way to a pond to catch something for dinner. In these moments, the boy learns subtle lessons from his father, who speaks of his childhood in Vietnam and the long-ago time when he fished in A Different Pond (Capstone, $15.95). With Thi Bui’s meditative illustrations, Bao Phi reflects on his own childhood in this gentle story of family, memory, and finding one’s place in a new world. Ages 6-9.
Peter and his friends have grand plans to dress up as pirates for the school costume party, but when he shows up in an elaborate Robinson Crusoe costume instead, all he gets is ridicule. To escape the laughter, Peter runs home and into bed, where images of an unfamiliar land and wild creatures invade his dreams. He becomes Robinson (Scholastic, $17.99)! Finding inspiration in his own childhood memories, Peter Sís fills each page with lush watercolors of blue waters, eye-catching designs of flora and fauna, and intricate details of Peter’s adventurous journey of imagination in this tribute to the power of literature. Ages 6-9.
Every toddler on the move will appreciate the pairing of traditional nursery rhymes with transportation-themed illustrations in On the Go with Mother Goose (Candlewick, $8.99), edited by Iona Opie. From a little hen cruising by in her convertible to Mother Hubbard riding a scooter, illustrator Rosemary Wells has transformed classic verses with a gently comic touch. Ages 0-5.
