Box

As many kids know, a cardboard box can often be better than whatever’s inside it. Flyte and Beardshaw are clearly on board with that train of thought, and they let readers get in on the fun as they introduce four cherubic toddlers who have boxes waiting to be opened with the lift of a flap. After the kids discover a drum, tricycle, and other objects in the boxes, they turn their attention to the boxes themselves. “Whatever do you think they’ll do with all those boxes?” Flyte wonders. The answers include a miniature theater, a large rocket ship that lifts up accordion-style, and a train that unfolds over four pages, festooned with pennants, taped-on wheels, and painted decorations. It’s a warm reminder of the near-limitless imaginative potential of the humble cardboard box. Ages 3–7. (Aug.)