The Peddler of Puddles

Tackling a significant life transition, prior collaborators Ferry and Lichtenheld (A Moving Story) imagine a much-beloved turtle entrepreneur—the peddler of puddles—in a jaunty straw hat and red rain boots, pushing a ramshackle cart harnessed to a plump white cloud. Landscape-forward pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor sketches show how a “tiny tug” on the cloud creates a “drip, drop, drip.” And a cutaway image depicts water moving “down the tubes, through the pipes” to create customized puddles of various sizes, right for an insect gondolier taking a paddle as well as a young human desiring to float a boat. One day, after enjoying a few hours with a child splashing in the ocean—the biggest puddle of them all—the peddler realizes that he’s tired of the itinerant life but not sure where to go. His fan club provides the answer: they’ve dug a hole in a forest clearing so the turtle can create an idyllic pond and turn the cart into a sweet little cottage, perfect for kicking back with friends. New life stages needn’t be insurmountable after all, this hopeful work’s creators suggest—the turtle’s retirement offers an expansive puddle of possibility. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Heirloom Literary & Media. Illustrator’s agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency. (Apr.)