Echo

In this socio-emotional picture book, young Junior Junior finds a seemingly ideal friend in the echo that bounces off an adjacent mountain near his high-altitude home. When he shouts approbations such as “JUNIOR JUNIOR IS THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD!” the echo immediately agrees. Then a real kid, Sandy, moves in next door; not only does she refuse to echo Junior Junior’s inflated sense of self, she also calls him out when he’s wrong. Flummoxed, Junior Junior runs away to hang full-time with the echo, embodied as the child’s doppelganger. But the echo’s constant agreement soon becomes tiresome, and the child realizes it’s more fun to be with someone who challenges and engages. “I’m glad you’re here,” Junior Junior tells Sandy after offering an apology, and when Sandy reflects those exact words back, he learns the importance of having an authentic mirror. Astutely recognizing the universal allure of constant validation, Rex (Tumblebaby) employs a slyly comic narrative and sculptural digital drawings to nudge readers toward a greater truth: real reciprocity thrives on the perspective that everyone brings to the table. Characters are portrayed with pale skin. Ages 4–8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Mar.)