The Idea in You

“An idea can come from anywhere./ Start here:/ Reach up into the sky/ and unhook a star” begins musician Questlove in a picture book aimed at promoting creative thinking and imagination. An affirming tone invites readers to explore an idea until it materializes into something more: “It might tell a story,/ one word speaking to the next,/ and on down the line.” Subsequent pages suggest further methods for bringing concepts to life: adding ingredients, changing one’s surroundings, and coming back to the idea (“Today is not the only day you have with your star”). Qualls’s signature-style illustrations visualize a dark-skinned child amid a range of textural design elements. Together, the creators underscore the positive outcomes of creative work both solo and in collaboration, and a final spread invites readers into creative process: “An idea can come from anywhere. Now, where will it go?” Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An author’s note concludes. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)