All the Things Mom Will Never Say

Carlain and Badel list “all the things Mom will never say” for humorous effect in this translation from the French, which spotlights a child’s-eye view of the good life. “Keep playing your video game—otherwise, the console will get cold and dusty,” one line reads. “You don’t have to eat your vegetables, but please finish your dessert,” notes another as an image shows candy dropping onto the table and into an uneaten bowl of green soup. Early bedtimes, tissues, table manners, clean hands, and tidying up are also eschewed in this litany of unlikely parental suggestions. Featuring spare coloring, white backdrops, and scribbly lines, comics-like vignettes augment the text’s humor, showcasing a peach-skinned child who appears to relish the chaotic freedom that would come from such proclamations—until the book’s final pronouncement amplifies sentiment over hilarity. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)