Wet

April 10, 2017
Sookocheff’s (Solutions for Cold Feet and Other Little Problems) quiet artwork suits her story’s inward, meditative arc. Working with matte tones of light blue, mustard, and gray, she draws a boy thinking about the different ways it’s possible to get wet. First, he ventures into the swimming pool (“My feet get wet first”). After his swimming lesson, he plays in a puddle in the rain (“Sometimes it’s fun to get wet”) then falls in the mud (“and sometimes it’s not”). A page turn gives him another thought: “My face gets wet when I cry.” His father picks him up and comforts him: “So does my dad’s shoulder.” There’s something comforting about this slow, methodical laying out of possibilities. The point is not to convey knowledge or demonstrate cleverness; rather, it’s an exploration of how we come to know what we know. After a bath to wash the mud off (“I have to get wet again”), the boy’s dog and cat provide one last thought: “At the end of the day nothing is wet... except good-night kisses.” A calming book for the end of a long day. Ages 4–8.

April 15, 2017
A young boy describes the ways and places that he gets wet in his world.From a dip in the pool to splashing in a puddle to enjoying his pets' sloppy kisses, with quite a few damp diversions along the way, Sookocheff's unnamed, pale-skinned first-person narrator catalogs his experience with liquids. He notes that sometimes he gets wet slowly, as when he starts his time at the swimming pool by dipping just his toes in; other times it happens fast, as when a cannonball dive makes a big splash. Sometimes it's voluntary--and fun. Other times, getting wet doesn't feel so good and brings on tears. Luckily his dad's there to comfort him (and get wet himself). Getting wet and dirty leads to a bath: getting wet to get clean. Speaking directly to readers about everyday experiences, the text is convincingly childlike and pleasingly immediate. The simple yet expressive illustrations feature round-headed, swoopy-armed people and large swathes of subdued, opaque blues, grays, and greens. They mirror the action and match the low-key tone of the narrative perfectly. There's gentle humor, compelling (but comfortingly minor) angst, and a loving family to keep the boy safe through his adventures. An intriguing approach to exploring a familiar natural phenomenon, this will appeal to thoughtful young listeners who may want to share their own experiences in response. (Picture book. 3-7)

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April 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 1-Deceptively simple lines and soft hues bring to life this picture book about how it feels to get wet. Sookocheff, illustrator of the -Buddy & Earl- series, employs acrylic, gouache, and hand-lettering techniques to immerse readers in the story of a nameless young boy who experiences myriad ways of getting wet. For example, the narrative begins with him at a swimming pool, slowly dipping his toe into the water before doing a cannonball into the deep end. -We like getting all-the-way wet,- he tells readers, -but some people just get halfway wet.- Each subsequent scene reveals new comparisons for children to ponder. Other similarities and differences, such as emotions, are explored using wetness as a springboard. When the young boy splashes in a puddle for fun, joy clearly visible on his face, his smile quickly turns to tears when he falls backward in the mud. While the splash, puddle, and tears are all wet, the feelings they invoke are quite different. Though few words are shared on the page, Sookocheff provides the perfect amount of space for reflection and conversation between children and adults. VERDICT An excellent selection for young storytimes and one-on-one reading moments, this is a first choice for all collections.-Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

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