Today with Meg and Ted

Cherubic sibs Meg and Ted show readers how a single, relatively unremarkable day can prove itself more than worthy of the encomium "it's all good." "Today is a good day to be very still," writes debuting author Gee, showing her two characters in extreme closeup, admiring a butterfly perched on a flower. Flip the page, and the duo is seen chasing the butterfly on foot and tricycle, demonstrating that today is also "a good day to be very, very quick!" Even potential downers are put into perspective: when Ted gets put in a time-out chair, Gee notes (in one of the book's few attempts at humor), "Today is a good day for some quiet time, alone." The sunny palette, combined with an almost clear line style of illustration, gives the pages an appropriately chipper energy; the repetitive vocabulary and sturdy, easy-reader typeface may encourage audiences to try their hand at reading aloud. But all that isn't quite enough to dispel an aura of stodginess from the pages. Meg and Ted's unplugged fun, while laudable, feels like it's unfolding in a distant era. Ages 2–5. (Jan.)