Before the World Wakes

Two children savor the pre-dawn in this picture book about personal autonomy and close childhood bonds. Slipping out of bed when “everything is still gentle and quietish/ and full of other people’s dreams and sleeping,” the white-presenting children, cued as siblings, head outside, feeling the cool (“but not too cold”) wet grass beneath their bare feet, watching as “the sky goes the color of a wish,” and witnessing the natural world—snails, flowers, sparrows, cedars, and more—awaken with what they describe as song and dance. “We join in because it’s so good to say hello,/ especially to a new day” as the children cavort in striped pj’s, blankets flying like capes behind them. Back at home, the pair relish the secret of the joy they’ve found in each other’s company. Echoing the poetic quality of Laure’s prose, Zakimi’s watercolor, pencil, and gouache images are luminous with pale hues that communicate a tender innocence. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)