Lily and Bear: Grumpy Feet

In this follow-up to Lily and Bear, nothing seems right to Stubbs’s heroine, Lily: “The day was too rainy, the teapot was too dribbly, and the sunshine color was missing.” After Lily again draws her friend Bear into existence, he diagnoses her with “grumpy feet” and sets out to improve her mood. With its crayony scrawls, bright colors, and childlike renderings, Stubbs’s artwork immerses readers in Lily’s world, which expands fantastically as Lily and Bear venture into outer space to visit the moon, polish the stars, and locate a baby unicorn. The language can get a bit gushy at times, but Stubbs offers concrete ideas (make a list of things to do, put “happy shoes” on those grumpy feet) that could help some children turn around their own “grouchy and mouchy” days. Ages 4–8. Agent: Jodie Hodges, United Agents. (Jan.)