Hide & Seek

Na’s (Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit) creative vision turns a group of animals’ game of hide and seek into a joyful spectacle. Featuring a predominantly pastel palette, the delicate art incorporates a range of intricate patterns and textures. As in Na’s previous books, swirls and spirals are common motifs, giving the pictures buoyancy and a sense of motion. The game is set in a rain forest where an elephant with heart-patterned ears counts to 10, as other animals find hiding places of varying ingenuity. A giraffe takes cover behind a tall tree, while a gorilla stands atop a mottled turtle, pretending he’s a statue. The cleverest player, of course, is the chameleon, and readers can find him in various scenes, including a dazzling, sunlit spread in which the chameleon’s friends give up and shout “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Na’s shifts in perspective—spying on the game from behind, from above, and from below—add visual interest, and the elephant’s continued counting “1... 2... 3...” generates a fitting degree of excitement and low-grade tension. Ages 2–5. (May)