When a Book Begins

Six whimsical entries begin with a refrain of “When a...” in a new book with poems from Dashielle. In “When a Dog Drives,” Alarcon’s bright, sketchbook-like artwork depicts a child with terrified, wide eyes taken on a wild ride (“I ask very nicely for him to slow down./ He is more careful, but wears a big frown”). Other poems describe a confused daisy, a cranky crow who visits the clouds, a wrinkled rainbow, and a forlorn buttermilk donut. Simple rhyming verses, most set in four-line stanzas, contain a pleasant singsong cadence. Together, art and lines amplify the whimsy, showing images including a cloud therapist and a depressed donut. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 7–9. (Mar.)