Emma Full of Wonders

Working in his signature boldly outlined figures and loose watercolor strokes, Caldecott Honoree Cooper introduces Emma, “a large dog with many small dreams.” She’s a thoughtful hound, and on the page around her, the smaller figures of similarly patterned dogs appear in a blue gray, doing the things Emma muses about: “singing, dancing, rolling in the grass, splashing in water, going for walks. One, two, three, four, five. Her favorite things.” Emma spends her days eating, napping, and enduring lonely moments. Soon, “there were times when her whole body felt strange.” And then “the day came,” the narrator announces: Emma is seen watching a puppy emerging from her body, licking off another newcomer, then nursing the whole litter: “And here they were! Just as she knew they would be.” The story’s reveal hinges on visual subtleties that may not add up for all readers, but the following spreads, featuring vignettes of the puppies “singing, dancing, rolling in the grass,” warmly invite a return to the story’s initial sequence. It’s a gradual look at how Emma’s dreams become reality and a contemplative story about the state of waiting—and being “full of wonders.” Ages 3–6. (Apr.)