Climb On!

“Mouté! Climb on!” A hike to the summit of a tropical peak has a father and child bonding through movement in this effervescent book by Paul and Alcántara. Filling backpacks with water, snacks, and a first aid kit, the book’s brown-skinned protagonists follow a lush, animal-filled path that has them swinging past a waterfall, climbing a spindly ladder, and scaling rocks until, at last, they reach the top with its views of the town below. Paul’s staccato prose fluidly mixes Creole and English for a rhythmic effect that emphasizes the exertion on display: “Fé vit. Hurry up!/ Step./ Breathe./ Sweat.” Bursting with verdant foliage, Alcántara’s exuberant illustrations capture the physicality of the story through varied perspectives. A final scene prompts readers to seek-and-find creatures that appear throughout, but even without this layer of directed interactivity, the creators’ combined efforts create a father-child adventure that readily engages. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)