Out!

In the spirit of Alexandra Day’s Carl books, Chung (The Fix-It Man) casts a Saint Bernard named Jo Jo as lookout and protector for a toddler who is eager to get out of its crib. Using sequential artwork and no more than a dozen words (“Out!” “Whee!” “Down!”), he shows how the toddler escapes its crib and sets off through the house, with Jo Jo in pursuit. After an alarming sail down the stairs in a laundry basket, the two tear into a layer cake and share a look at the stars, pulling off a grand nighttime adventure. The furtive theme is underscored by panels shadowed in deep blues and framed in black. When the child’s parents discover the demolished cake, they initially blame Jo Jo, but cakey footprints lead them to the right culprit. Chung puts a multiracial family at the center of this suburban adventure, the spare text rewards new readers, and his cartooning makes the characters familiar and approachable. Ages 2–6. Agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (June)