No Pants!

Bright pink Pablo is acquiescent as can be while getting ready for a big party—he eats oatmeal when there’s no time for pancakes (“Um. OK,” he says, clearly disappointed), clears his dishes, goes potty, and washes his hands. But a kid’s autonomy can only be squashed so much, and Pablo finally strikes back when asked to don trousers: “NO PANTS!” With escalating levels of comic opposition and impatience, all-dialogue text by Grant (Bear Meets Bear) should make for a boisterous readaloud as Dad marshals elaborate counter-arguments evoking family, history, and tradition: “Pants have been made in every shape and size you can imagine, and people wear pants all around the planet. Even in space!” Pablo, meanwhile, asserts that he’ll wear the pants, just not on his legs: “Upside down pants are the best pants!” Dad eventually wins this funny and realistic skirmish of wills, but via a droll turn, it’s Pablo who triumphs in the war of independence. Digitally colored charcoal, crayon, pencil, and cut paper illustrations are authentically slice-of-life, with a crisp energy that packs the wallop of animation and comics. Ages 3–5. [em]Agent: Steven Chudney, the Chudney Agency. (Apr.) [/em]