Who Will U Be?

Hische (Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind) celebrates curiosity and individuality in this playful blend of abecedary, school story, and self-discovery primer. Excited to embark on a field trip, Lilac-hued protagonist U heads to Ms. Bracket’s School for Little Letters, located—in the first of many punny nods to Manhattan—in Alphabet City. Shown in varied hues and sporting thin, black noodly arms and legs, the full complement of classmates, plus “Sigma... visiting from Greece,” boards the subway, embarking on a New York City scavenger hunt to, well, find themselves—“on storefronts, on street signs, on hand-printed posters, on a movie theater marquee... even up in the sky!” Along the way, U does on-the-street interviews, asking S, T, O, and P how they ended up on a sign, and making small talk with the flashy K on box office signage. A chat with the books at the public library and a stop in front of a lettered sculpture round out the trip, contributing to U’s uplifting class report on her findings. An arch-windowed room at the New York Public Library and a showstopping spread of humorous, brightly burning billboards in Times Square are among the memorable scenes of this city jaunt, which invites readers to explore their own world of possibilities. Ages 3–7. (Apr.)