In Caldecott Medalist Hogrogian's (One Fine Day
) wordless watercolor spreads, a group of animals brings color back into a bleak world—a world ostensibly ruined by humans. On the title page, a black cat with white paws sits in a brown wasteland of withered grass and broken bottles, looking through its paint box. On the next, it sets to work at the far edge of the panel, painting green leaves and grass. As it uses a rag to wipe blue over the brownish sky, it's joined by a mouse, who adds some red flowers with a smaller brush. By the end of the book, a community of animals celebrates together in the verdant, blossoming world they've recreated. The spreads are paced as carefully as a dance, as animals gradually appear one after another, first observing, then embarking on projects of their own. In Hogrogian'ssilent yet richly imagined vision of the Peaceable Kingdom, the animals do not just inhabit their world but work together to help mend it—a vision of possibility. Ages 3–6. (Sept.)
