Sometimes I Feel... Sunny

A quartet of multiethnic toddlers demonstrate different emotions and feelings, as described in Shields’s emphatic, if somewhat syrupy verse: “Sometimes I feel fizzy,/ sometimes I feel strong,/ sometimes I feel dizzy,/ sometimes I feel wrong.” Shields includes a broad range of feelings, including some not easily put into words: on a “funny, floaty, empty” day, a blonde girl in pigtails sits glumly on the floor as leaves and rain fall outside. Birkett’s illustrations feature loose crayon outlines and thick strokes of brightly colored paint, creating a warm and comforting atmosphere, even on “scratchy, grumpy, yucky days.” Ages 2–5. (Sept.)