Kate and Nate Are Running Late!

Overeager preschooler Nate, his eight-year-old sister, and their harried mother Kate are under the gun when it comes to getting out of the house in the a.m. Multitasking Kate, whose dot eyes speak volumes about her steely determination to stay on track, “yells, ‘Time to use the potty!’/ when she’s halfway down the stairs./ She starts the coffee, feeds the cats,/ toasts some waffles, slices pears.” As the ripped-from-reality scenes fly by in first-time picture book author Egan’s rhymes, the trio overcomes every potential catastrophe (escaped cats, swiped socks, slippery ice), only to arrive at school... on a Saturday. This family, on the move in the most literal sense, should garner knowing laughs from kids and grownups alike; it’s unlikely readers haven’t experienced at least one of the morning travails depicted. Yaccarino’s (Boy and Bot) sleek retro styling and flat colors are particularly well-suited to a story whose characters have an almost aerodynamic quality; Kate and the family pets in particular look like all they need are jet wings to go airborne. Ages 4–7. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.)