Sour Cakes

A light-skinned child with long, wavy black hair navigates the contrary moods of their younger sibling in this tender picture book debut by Krossing. As the older awakens the younger, the latter immediately disagrees with every suggestion: they want to stay in, not play outside; instead of coloring with yellow, pink, or red crayons, the younger prefers gray; at the proposition of baking a sweet cake, the younger complains, “I feel sour.” At each turn, the older sibling meets their sibling’s objections with patience and compassion. When asked what they do want, the younger confesses, “I want fog to crash down on big monster feet” and, after that, “I want to disappear.” But the older sibling offers a kind response worth celebrating: “Can I disappear with you?” Kwan’s soft-toned, fluid illustrations fill each spread, encapsulating the siblings’ shifting emotions. This sensitive narrative shows the significance of empathy in meeting people where they’re at. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)